An Almighty Goddess
by SeaGoddessOfStarlight
Summary: Linnea Carlsen is a rarity. She is considered odd for being a Goddess that hangs around Gods, keeping them for company after having practically been raised with them. Being more like a cast out when with other Goddesses, she sides with the Gods. Goddesses may be trickier and dangerous, but Gods are no walk in the park, and Linnea knows this better than anyone.
1. The Curtains Are Giving Way for the Show

**Hello, this is just a story that has been nagging at me for a while after having watched The Almighty Johnsons some time ago, I just couldn't put it to words, so here it is! I hope you guys enjoy, and I loved the show!**

**I own nothing belonging to the Almighty Johnsons, except for the obvious.**

* * *

**The Curtains Are Giving Way for the Show**

* * *

Warmth meets cold when I exhale a deep breath out of my mouth, watching my visible breath disappear before my eyes as I close the lock of the door. I grab the handle to the door and shake them, the rattling of the chains meeting my ears. I nod in satisfaction with the secure hold of the chains on the handles from within the store. I need to be sure that the store is closed and there is no chance for anyone to enter, not that there is much for them to steal, unless they are desperate to get their hands on some plants.

I only shake my head in amusement at the thought. _Why would anyone want to steal flowers?_ I asked myself, but then raised an eyebrow. _They would, if they knew._

I readjust my purse over my shoulder, sighing before shoving my hands in the pockets of my coat. I turn away from the darkened store and walk down the street, noticing that only few stores are open—the ones that are open twenty-four hours. There are fewer stores closed than open, stores that fall under the category like mine. Light is provided by the lamp posts next to the street and the light that emanated from stores, restaurants and pubs that are still open. I can also hear the muffled sound behind the walls, breaking the night's silence. The street is almost empty with few people walking on the sidewalk or standing near pubs.

I take a deep breath and smile, happily walking back home after having the longest work day of my life. There had been too many customers, which was good, but there was too much paperwork to go through. I shake away work from my mind and take relaxing breaths. I hum and look up to the sky, freezing on the spot with eyes wide.

The goosebumps are just brutal as they go throughout my whole body. The chilly wind did not help to calm my raging nerves, managing to maneuver around the shield of my coat to reach my skin. The longer I stare at the falling stars, the more I shiver uncomfortably. The feeling of dread consumes me and my head begins to throb, to which my brows knit together as I look away from the sky. I take my hands out of my pockets and stroke my temples, trying to calm down the aching in my head.

_Fire in the night sky for seven nights before he returns,_ a voice practically booms in my head, to which I whimper before slumping back against the wall of a building next to me.

"The fuck?" I hiss to myself as another wave of pain goes through my head, making my eyes scrunch up in pain.

_The Earth shall tremble on the day of his arrival._

_The seas run red, as if of blood._

_The sun shall rise on the sign of Odin, writ large upon the slopes of fire, for all to know that he returns._

_When he returns, he will have two hearts; the heart of man and the heart of the earth,_ I gasp when the weight of pain is suddenly lifted from me. I take deep breaths of relief, moaning as I feel the heavy load of pain receding from my mind, like a wet towel leaving my shoulders.

Suddenly, my heartbeat rises in alarm when I am shaken. I gasp when I notice it is the ground that is shaking, pressing myself back against the wall with more force as I brace my hands on the ground, waiting for the ground to stop shaking.

_Earthquake,_ I realize a tad slow when a dizzy spell hits me.

I can hear the muffled sounds of surprise, fear and panic that come from within any building housing people; screaming dominating any other sounds. I even see some people stepping out into the street, only to stand near a wall as they look everywhere, trying to locate any sort of tragic danger, given the fact that there is a volcano nearby, but I know that isn't it.

A sigh of relief leaves my mouth with my eyes closing when the shaking stops. I am only glad it wasn't that strong of an earthquake. I make sure I am not dizzy, making sure everything around me stops swimming. I stand on wobbly legs, looking around to see if much harm was done, but, so far, the blaring car alarms are the worst. I shake my head and walk towards home in a haste.

_Please be all right,_ I beg to anyone that might answer my prayer.

"Grams!" I holler as I enter my home.

It is a simple and cozy place; my home. It is like any other suburban home in Auckland, New Zealand. It only has one floor with a porch, backyard and front yard. There is also a driveway that leads into a garage with the only car of the house in it. It is a simple and normal home that houses complicated and strange people.

"Grams!" I call once more, only for a bark to respond, to which I smile when I kneel down and meet the young, red merle Border Collie that almost pounces on me in joy. I coo at it as I cup its head between my hands to meet its beautiful blue eyes. "Hey, Cookie," I coo at the excited pup and I let her lick my face. I chuckle at her joy. "Good to know nothing phases you."

"You okay, Monkey?"

I look up and find the source of the question. I sigh in relief when I see the brunette woman with grey streaks here and there, mostly at the front. She stands not far in front of me with every limb attached to her. I see no injury and stand up after giving Cookie one last ruffle to her ears. I smile at the aging woman before walking over to her, enveloping her in a hug of both relief and greeting.

We stay still, acknowledging the fact that we are both fine and not hurt in any way. Well, apart from the headache I got earlier. I only focus on the woman that is only two or three inches taller than me in my arms, glad that she is fine.

I groan and pull away from the hug, meeting her brown eyes with my own blue-green ones. "Will you never stop calling me that?"

She only feigns a frown of confusion with pursed lips, her hands still on my shoulders. "Whatever do you mean, Monkey?"

"It's enough that memories are unforgettable," I say, referencing to memories of my childhood, more specifically the ones where I climbed something. I leave her hold and place my purse on the kitchen counter. "Nothing broken?"

"Only a few flower pots that were empty and paintings that I have already hung back on the wall," Grams says as she goes over to the fridge, fetching a bottle of water before giving it to me.

"It didn't feel like a normal earthquake," I say as I take the bottle of water she offers me and drink. I hum as I feel the cold water run down to my stomach. "It didn't feel like an earthquake."

"Because it wasn't," Grams says as Cookie whines from where she sits next to my feet, to which I begin stroking her head before motioning Grams to continue explaining. "It was a sign that will soon become one of many to announce the return of whom rules us all."

I frown at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"The curtains are giving way for the show," she says, and my frown only deepens in my confusion, to which she groans in annoyance at my lost look. "I mean to say that tomorrow is going to be a rather eventful day." She sighs as she moves to the stove, preparing to make tea with an absentminded look on her face. "Nothing will change how it will end."

"Is it a bit too naïve of me to ask what will happen?" I ask, and she gives me a look that is enough of an answer for me. I raise my hands in surrender with my bottle of water still in one hand. "Can't blame me for trying."

"You should know better," she says, a small grin on her lips with her attention on making her tea. "Want some tea?"

I shake my head. "I'm fine," I answer before taking another sip of water.

"Phone," Grams says without taking her eyes away from the stove, and I roll my eyes at her words before I walk over to my purse just as my phone starts ringing. I take it out of my bag and look at the screen to see who is calling me.

I smile and pick up the call. "Yes?" I greet, going over to the couch in the living room that is in view of the kitchen. "Who is calling at such an _ungodly_ hour?"

"_You are rather cheery after an earthquake,_" I hear his voice say. "_I imagine you'd dance during a volcano's eruption._"

At the sound of his voice, I cannot help but feel a slight tightening of my chest and a flutter in my stomach, but this is all normal and has been for quite some time, actually. It is a rather infuriating thing for me, knowing full well what will happen should I act on my feelings, which I refuse to accept.

"Depends," I say as I take off my boots before resting my legs on the coffee table in front of me. I grab the remote of the TV before turning the latter on, surfing through the channels. "You okay?"

"_Yeah,_" I hear him sigh, while I settle on a channel filled with shows about comedy. "_Although, I am not that great, considering the earthquake is at fault for taking away a good time._"

"I don't want to even know, Anders," I say, knowing exactly what he means when he talks about a 'good time'. I can hear him chuckle, but I decide to ignore it. "But, are you okay?" I need to be sure he is all right.

I hear him stop chuckling, taking in air. "_I'm fine, my Goddess,_" he says, and I groan once more at another nickname. I have no real name with anyone, just a nickname that I have been given. "_And how are you?_"

"I'm quite fine, nothing serious," I say as Cookie comes to lie down next to me on the couch with her head on my lap. I smile and begin to stroke her fur. "Just had a little scare."

"_Good, see you tomorrow?_"

I raise an eyebrow. "I don't work at the office tomorrow, remember?"

"_Come one, let's have a night out,_" I hear him whine like a child, but then hum as if in thought. "_I'll even pick you up._"

"No, Anders," I say and hear the sound of someone else calling me. "Besides, tomorrow will be a most busy day, if you haven't forgotten." I know he hasn't forgotten, but will surely try to avoid it. "Also, I have my job tomorrow and I need to take another call."

"_Don't you da—_"

I laugh when I end his call and switch to the other one. "Hello?" I greet, still smiling from having ended my call with Anders, knowing that he will most likely find some way to get back at me.

"_You okay?_" I smile wider at the familiar voice.

"I'm fine, Tiger," I say with a teasing grin. "How was the earthquake for you?"

"_It was actually better than my break-up,_" he says, and I straighten up in surprise with furrowed brows, causing Cookie to raise her head from my lap and look at me indignantly from having moved her from her comfortable spot.

"What?" I ask and turn to Grams as she drinks her tea while sitting on the stool of the kitchen counter. "Did you know about Ty's girlfriend?"

Grams' eyes widen, but she composes herself before she shrugs innocently. "I do not know of what you speak."

I tilt my head at her with a pointed look. "You knew and forgot to tell me or Ty, didn't you?"

"That might be a more accurate explanation, yes," she says before she stands up and stretches her back, tea still in hand. "I'm heading off to bed." She sighs, her shoulders slumping tiredly. "Night, my little Monkey."

"Grams," I groan, wanting to smack my head as I watch her grin before disappearing down a hall to her room. I then turn back to the TV with my attention on the phone. "She forgot to tell you." I begin stroking Cookie's neck, watching her close her eyes. "Sorry."

"_Nah, don't worry about it,_" he says, and I would have given him a knowing look if we were facing one another. "_It's routine now._"

"She was a tramp," I say with a shrug, already hating the girl for dumping him; he was a catch and every girl is too blind or stupid to know it. "You can do better."

"_Why must you always call my ex-girlfriends tramps?_" he asks, to which I huff.

"Because they are," I say dryly. "I am your best friend and it is in my power to say which of your girlfriends are tramps or not."

I can actually feel him raising an eyebrow in amusement. "_So far, they are all tramps._"

In all honesty, I find every girl Ty has dated either stupid or plain retarded. He is handsome, kind, protective and—above all—a gentleman; the last one being something that is more of a rarity in this world. Let's not forget that each and every girl turns out to be his friend in the end and he keeps true to staying friends with them, and he does this without listening to me about never seeing them again.

"Pity," I say, not really meaning any sympathy towards his ex-girlfriends.

"_I thought you were nice,_" he says, and I roll my eyes at him.

"I am," I amend, "but only with people I like and don't dump my best friend because they are too blind to see the stud that is right in front of them."

"Can we change topics?" he asks, and I nod, even though he won't see me, but I know he'll continue. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"Is Anders?" I counter, muffling a yawn that escapes my mouth with the back of my hand.

"Yeah, I'll take care of that," he says. I have full confidence that he will take care of Anders. There is no way that he will skip our plans for tomorrow. "Should I pick you up?"

"Yes, please," I say as I turn off the TV, whistling for Cookie to follow me as I turn off the lights while going over to my room with Cookie right on my heels like the faithful friend that she is. "I'll leave Grams in charge of the store, go home and change before going over to Mike's for tonight."

I know my plans will change; it is inevitable with the company I keep.

"_Right, I'll see you then, right?_" he asks as I enter my green-themed room, fishing out pajamas to wear.

"Yep, nighty-night, Tiger," I say as I approach the large window in my room, looking up at the starry night sky.

"_See you tomorrow,_" he says before I hang up, sighing as I watch the sky.

I sit on the sofa of the small alcove in my room that is next to my windowsill, hugging my pajamas close to my chest. I know perfectly well that tomorrow will bring forth many changes for the present and future. I only wish that we will be able to overcome them, to be unscathed by the end of it all, but I know that it is a longshot for that to happen.

I release one more sigh before turning to Cookie, who is already lying on my bed, wagging her tail happily when our eyes meet, to which I smile.

"Time for bed," I say as I stand up and go over to the bed to get ready for sleep, wishing for tomorrow to be a good day.

* * *

"Will that be all?" I ask the man on the other side of the counter with a smile on my lips.

It actually feels like a good day. The sun is bright and high with no sign of a dark cloud to dull the day. There is the most important thing that needs to happen, but I keep that at the back of my mind. The last thing I need is to ruin the little peace I have with that part of my life that I may enjoy a little too much. I want to keep my smile true on my face for as long as I can before it's gone and worry sets in.

The day started well enough. I got dressed in a long-sleeved, yellow t-shirt with a v-neckline, skinny jeans and brown booties to wear an apron over it all at the flower shop. I had some breakfast before heading off to work with Grams, Cookie's angry barks still sounding in my head after we left her alone in the house. She so dislikes to be left alone in the house, but leaving her with the backyard open is not an error I will be making again.

We had arrived to _Blóm_—the Norse word for flower and the name of the flower shop I run with my grandmother. We opened the small flower shop that is situated on the corner of the street with flowers all around for display. The shop has display windows at the front of the store to give a clear view of the flowers and protects them from the outside with the shop's name written in purple cursive on the glass.

We also have gift baskets, fruits and chocolates to give, but they are less in amount when compared to the amount of flowers we have. They are all stored in the back where it's much cooler. My office is also at the back, it gives me more privacy when I am dealing with special orders and when I go through paperwork. It is also a great place to rest whenever the day has become too much, especially with my comfy chair.

"Yes, and they are beautiful," the man says, having told me he wants to surprise his girlfriend and propose to her. I advised him to give her a beautiful bouquet of white arbutus and myrtle flowers mixed together in an elegant fashion. "Are they really lucky?" he asks me with a frown.

I smile and nod. "They are."

"Thank you," he says, and I can see his excitement on the ever wide grin on his face with his glasses on, clothed in formal clothes and his hair brushed; his face shows signs of having been shaved this morning.

"You are most welcome," I say as I stroke one of the petals of a myrtle flower with a smile. A glowing, bronze dust goes from the tips of my fingers to the flowers, making me feel a slight tingle in my fingers. The man did not see this and I sigh once the deed has been done. "I hope she says yes."

"Let's hope," he says, chuckling as he begins to walk away. He opens the glass door of the store, making the bell on the top ring before he turns to me once more. "Again, thank you."

I nod at him with a smile. "Good luck," I say, and he exits my shop. "Bye," I wave at him as he leaves, smiling as I flatten my hands on the counter, which is where purchases are handled.

"Young love," I hear Grams say from next to me, a smile on her face as she looks to where the man had left. "It warms my heart to know that it's not gone."

"Agreed," I say, going into my office that is behind me. I sigh when I sit on my chair to look over the paperwork. "We are actually free of any orders," I say to Grams, loud enough for her to hear me. "We have this week free of special orders."

"Good to know," Grams calls back. "They're here."

I look up from the papers on my desk before standing up, leaving my office. I smile when I see Anders and Ty enter my shop with the bell ringing to announce they're arrival. I go around the counter and lean against it as they approach me; Ty with a smile and Anders with his ever flirty grin.

"What can I do for you, my good sirs?" I ask playfully as I cross my arms over my chest.

"A hug for starters," Anders says as he gathers me into his arms, while I chuckle before bringing Ty into the hug as well. They somehow manage to wrap their arms around me and not around one another. Even with Anders being the smallest in his family, he is still five or six inches taller than me, making me the smallest in his and my family. We pull away from the hug. "We're here to collect."

"Are you now?" I ask, with a raised eyebrow, teasing him.

"Hello, boys," Grams says as she makes her way over to them, bringing them into a group hug that they eagerly return. "Hope you've been behaving." She pulls away with a smile that they return.

"When have we never behaved?" Anders says, grinning.

"Do you really want me to answer that question?" she asks him with a grin of her own, and he ponders her question with pursed lips and hands in the pockets of his coat.

Anders shakes his head. "Not really."

"Thought so," Grams says with a knowing look.

"It's time," Ty tells me, and my smile completely drops before I hum.

"Already?" I ask, surprised that it is already time for that.

"I'll look after the shop," Grams says before she goes over to tend to some customers that were eyeing some flowers.

"Don't be Anders," Ty says with a sigh, and I chuckle as I go over to my office.

"Never," I call as I remove my apron, dropping it on the back of my chair. "I'm not a whiny little girl."

"I am right here," I hear Anders say, and I laugh.

I grab my long-sleeved, beige coat from where I hanged it on the hook on the back of the door of my office. It has a double-breasted front, and a basic collar. It also has a flattering flared skirt, which makes it classy. I put it on and sigh at how snug it feels before I grab my purse, hoisting the strap on my shoulder with everything I'll need. I leave my hair in the high ponytail I put it in this morning, leaving a few bangs to frame my face.

"I'm ready," I say as I step out of my office and meet with Ty and Anders. They nod and make their way to the exit of the store. I turn to where Grams is. "I'll see you later, Grams."

"Good luck," Grams says, receiving waves and smiles from Anders and Ty as we leave the store.

"Shouldn't we go in two cars?" I suggest as we approach Ty's van, seeing there is only the front seats and I am not good with tight places.

"Why?" Ty asks with a frown as he gets on the driver's seat. "I can't risk Anders giving us the slip."

"Hey!" Anders says indignantly as he opens the door of the passenger's seat. "I wouldn't do that."

"Sure about that?" I ask as I walk over to him, a knowing look on my face as he grins at me.

"Get in," he says, motioning to the van with his head.

I stick my tongue out at him before getting in Ty's van, sitting in-between the brothers. The van's front is a bit small, but another passenger would mean that I'd have to sit on Ander's lap, given the fact that Ty is driving.

"Where to now?" I ask as Ty turns on the car, and it roars to life.

I quickly turn off the air conditioner, for I have one right next to me that is already giving me the chills. He is part of the reason why I had to start wearing bras made of harder silk to hide how pointy my nipples get when I am next to him. The other part is that Anders always pointed it out and I had enough of those embarrassing moments.

"To get the birthday boy," says Anders.

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**There you guys have it! The first chapter, and I hope you guys enjoyed!**

**Leave a review, Follow or Fave, whichever you prefer.**

**See ya next time!**


	2. It's Kind Of a Birthday Present

**Here is chapter two, lovelies. I want to thank SelkieShore for the first review. It really means a lot to me, and I hope it isn't the last. I am also grateful for the Follows and Faves, since they also mean a lot to me. They tell me I should keep writing, so they are very welcomed.**

**So, I own nothing of The Almighty Johnsons, except for the obvious. Enjoy!**

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**It's Kind Of a Birthday Present**

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Anders and I laugh merrily after Ty scared his younger brother, feigning to run him over with his van when the younger had been oblivious to the approaching van. I can't blame Ty for wanting to scare his younger brother for having been standing in the middle of the street, not paying attention to his surroundings.

Axl shoves the van by the front as Ty makes the van's horn go off. "Happy birthday, dickhead," Ty says, his voice reaching Axl with no problem because of the rolled down windows.

"Happy birthday, Axl," I call, deciding to be the normal person and not insult Axl on his birthday, even though he tends to be childish and reckless.

"Your destiny awaits," Anders says with his head sticking out of his window. He pulls back his head into the van when Axl approaches the window. "Get in the van now."

"I thought you were banished from this family," Axl says with a smirk directed at Anders as he leans on the van, bending his head a bit because of his tall form.

"Flying visit," Anders counters with his own smirk on his face.

Anders starts to make room for Axl. He actually lifts me onto his lap, while he takes my seat. I can't help but feel quite comfortable, but shake my head to rid myself of such thoughts. He winks at me and I roll my eyes at him as he keeps me in place with an arm around my waist, while I have one arm around his shoulders. Some would consider this flirting and everything else that _seems_ like flirting, but it isn't. We're just really comfortable around one another with no tension or other worries.

Grams, Anders and his family are the only ones who will never think we're flirting, for they are used to it after having been behaving like this with one another for almost all of our lives. Still, I cannot help but feel the tingly feeling in my chest and the butterflies in my stomach when being this close to him.

"Get in the van," Ty says and I can feel his irritation rolling off in waves.

"Do I really have to do whatever this sodding thing is?" says Axl, annoyance clear on his features.

"Yes, really," Ty answers.

"Just get in the van," I say, getting annoyed that he's making this difficult.

"Don't you want to meet your grandfather?" Anders supplies.

Axl knits his brows in confusion while staring at Anders. "I don't have a grandfather," he says slowly.

"That is where you are wrong, my young grasshopper," I say, grinning at Axl, who still looks to all of us with a confused look, as if we were mental or something. I feel Anders squeeze my waist, telling me he is very much amused.

I squeak in surprise when Ty thrusts the sword towards Axl out of nowhere with a glare decorating his face. "Get in the van, Axl," says Ty, frustration evident in his tone of voice as he keeps the tip of the sword near Axl's neck, the latter frowning at the weapon.

"We just want this over with," I supply to a very confused and wary Axl.

* * *

I sigh in pure relief after stretching my stiff muscles from having been in a rather uncomfortable position in the van, even though I tried to get comfortable. Anders also stretches his own sore muscles. While Anders and I had sat in Ty's van with not much space, Ty and Axl were quite comfortable and were waiting for us to finish stretching. Still, we all suffered Axl's questioning throughout the whole ride, not being able to answer him until we reached our destination.

"You guys done?" Ty asks, and I look up to find him grinning in amusement with the sword wrapped in a blanket in his arms.

"We're taking two cars next time," I say, leaving no room for argument.

"Couldn't agree more," Anders says as he stands next to me.

Ty's amusement leaves his face to be replaced by a sullen look. "Let's hope there isn't a next time."

I sigh, knowing Ty despises days like this one more than anything. Even if he had been dealt with another gift, he'd still find something to be miserable about. I agree and disagree with him, but that is only because I enjoy what my gift can do, but dislike that it is also a gift I'd rather not use or have anyone know about.

"Well, come on," Ty says as he turns and leads us all deeper into the woods to join the others that are already here after having noticed the other truck that is parked in front of Ty's van. I follow after Ty with Anders behind me and Axl at the rear.

"Why are we here?" I hear Axl ask.

"Who do you think he'll get?" Anders asks, ignoring Axl's question.

"You'll see, Axl," I say, not being able to not answer him with something as I continue to follow Ty, since I would have also been wary if I am taken to some secluded part in a forest with no explanation.

"No one, if he's lucky," Ty answers Anders' question.

"Ouch, that's cold," says Anders, his puns that will never cease to strike a chord in Ty. I cannot help the small chortle that leaves my lips.

"Anders," I hiss at him as he comes to start walking next to me, and I give him a halfhearted glare, receiving a playful smirk in return.

"It never stops being funny to you, does it?" Ty asks rhetorically.

"Linny laughed," Anders says as he points at me.

I look at him with a frown. "I did not."

"You did," says Ty.

"I did not mean to," I counter. "You know I never mean to."

Ty glances at me over his shoulder with a small smile. "I know." He turns back around and continues walking.

Anders puts an arm around my shoulders and smirks at Ty's back, while I place my hands in the pockets of my coat. I only shake my head at Anders' form of amusement as we continue to walk deeper into the forest and away from the possibility of prying eyes.

"What are you guys talking about?" Axl asks us, but he is once more ignored.

I sigh, not being able to help myself. "You'll find out in a moment, young grasshopper."

"Will you stop calling me that?" Axl grumbles, to which I chuckle, while Anders smirks.

We did not walk too much into the forest with only trees around us. Leaves and branches coat the forest floor. There are very little bushes and little green. There are also logs and fallen trees; the ones that are still standing look naked with few leaves on their branches. Just as we climb over a small hill, we find our other companions not too far from where we parked the cars but far enough to have privacy.

I see Mike in the middle of a small clearing with enough space to do what is needed to be done, and he is placing the very important rocks on the ground, forming a circle with them. Olaf is sitting on a small boulder with his hands spread to his sides, his back to us and appearing to be meditating.

"Olaf!" Axl calls, running past me, Anders and Ty towards the arms of Olaf after the tall man had stood on his feet. I smile when I see them hug heartily.

Anders drops his arm from my shoulders and walks over to an area outside of the circle, while Ty gives takes the sword out of the bundle and hands it over to Mike. Ty then takes his place outside of the circle, opposite to Anders. I stand near Axl and Olaf, wanting to greet the latter.

Axl laughs. "You made it, cuz!"

"You doubted me?" Olaf asks as he pulls away from Axl with a mock look of hurt, keeping his hands on the younger's shoulders.

"You bring the weed like you said?" I manage to hear Axl whisper to Olaf, to which I roll my eyes at.

_What is with this family and drugs?_ I question myself, never finding the answer.

"We shall talk of that later," Olaf whispers back to Axl in his ear.

"Sweet," Axl says, and they pull away from one another.

Olaf then turns to me and smiles widely with wide eyes, his hands spread out as an invitation. "Linnea Carlsen!"

"Olaf," I say before I am engulfed in a bear hug that lifts me off the ground momentarily, to which we both laugh before I am set on the ground once more. "It's good to see you."

"It's been a while," I say as I look up to him with a smile, his being wider than mine.

"And how is your grandmother?" he asks me.

"Alive and kicking," I say before my eyes fall to where Mike is glaring at Anders. I turn back to Olaf. "Let's get on with it."

"It's for the best," he tells me with a knowing look.

"Hi, Mike," I greet with a smile as I come to stand next to Anders, but in-between him and Mike, ready to prevent any quarreling.

"Hi, Linn," Mike greets me with the smallest of smiles and a nod of his head. His eyes fall on Anders, hardening. "Good of you to make the time."

"Ah, you know me," Anders says with a shrug of his shoulders. "I'm all about family."

"Can we get this over with?" I say warily, wanting to avoid any fighting between the brothers when the day is supposed to be about Axl.

Mike sighs before nodding. "Linn's right, we should kick this thing off."

"Yay," I exhale with no enthusiasm but with relief at having dodged a bullet, for now.

"What 'thing'?" Axl asks from where he stands outside of the circle composed of rocks with his arms crossed over his chest, standing opposite to Mike and next to Olaf. He is rather indifferent as to why we are all here. "I thought I was meeting a grandpa I don't have."

"Surprise," Olaf says with a smile, and Axl turns to him with a raised eyebrow. "It's a bit of a shock, I know." He grabs Axl's shoulders with a sigh, smiling like always. "But the truth is I'm your granddad, not your cousin." Axl snorts in amusement, believing it to be a joke. "I'm ninety-two years old, nearly ninety-three."

"Okay, someone's been doing the magic mushrooms again, cuz," Axl says, whispering the last part to Olaf, even though we all know how much Olaf tends to enjoy good weed and some mushrooms from time to time.

Olaf shakes his head, turning a tad bit more serious. "No 'shrooms, Axl." He sighs. "This is real. On my twenty-first birthday, I became the mortal incarnation of Baldr, so I am, among other things, the God of Rebirth." Axl looks at him strangely. "Every morning, I am born again. Not literally, thank God." Axl only chuckles disbelievingly. "Bottom line is that I get old really, really, really slowly." Axl looks to Mike, the latter nodding in confirmation of Olaf's words. "I know it's freaky, but what you need to get your head around, Axl, is that your family are all gods." I clear my throat. "And Linny is also one—a goddess."

"Gods?" asks Axl, an unamused smile on his lips.

"Norse gods to be more precise," I supply, receiving a short glance from Axl with an amused look before his attention returns to Olaf.

"Norse gods from Norsewood?" says Axl, still believing we're pulling his leg.

"That's where us Norse gods ended up," Olaf says, continuing to explain everything to Axl, who is unconvinced with everything being said. Mike, Anders, Ty and I know that we'll need to supply physical evidence for Axl to believe us, but we let Olaf continue to explain our history. "Fleeing religious persecution by the religious."

"After the big mistake of leaving Asgard to walk amongst the mortals," says Anders.

"It only ended in a most negative way for us," I supply.

"The mortals started chasing us pagans with sticks and burning our houses down," Ty continues.

"So we bravely ran away," Olaf says, trying to save face.

"To New Zealand," says Mike.

"There wasn't much choice," I say with a shrug.

Axl looks to all of us, his face serious before a smile breaks out on his face. "Okay, what the fuck is going on?"

Mike takes a deep breath. "I'm Ullr."

"Bragi, god of poetry," Anders says and bows his head at Axl in greeting.

"Höðr," Ty sighs sullenly, "god of everything dark and cold."

"Yay, Höðr," I say in a small cheer, trying to cheer him up, considering he loathes being the mortal incarnation of Höðr.

"Yeah," Ty sighs, offering me a not very happy smile, "yay, Höðr."

"And you?" Axl asks as he turns to me. "Are you actually part of this?"

I sigh. "Gefjon," I say with a small bow of my head, "goddess of chastity." Anders and Ty snort, to which I give them both a pointed look. "It's better than goddess of plough, vegetation, fertility and whatever."

"Sorry," Ty offers, but Anders only gives me an apologetic look that is not so apologetic with the grin on his lips.

"Arse," I mumble.

"We don't mean it, my Goddess," Anders says as he brings me to his side with an arm around my shoulders as I roll my eyes at him.

Axl scoffs. "Okay, you are seriously mental if you think I'm falling for this crap," Axl says as he begins to walk backwards with intentions of leaving. "Very funny, ha-ha." He turns away from us, walking away.

I squeak in surprise for the second time by the same reason: the bloody sword. Anders' arm falls from my shoulders and places them into his coat's pocket. Mike had thrown the sword, plunging it into the tree next to Axl's head. Axl's eyes widen when he turns to see the sword deeply embedded in the tree next to him before he whirls around to face Mike.

"Did you just throw a fucking sword at me?" Axl growls at Mike, already making his way towards Mike, but is stopped by Olaf's hand on his shoulder and Ty intercepting him.

"No, I threw it at the tree," Mike says nonchalantly. "If I'd thrown it at you, it would have hit you and killed you, which would kind of defeat the purpose."

"What purpose?" Axl asks, glaring at his oldest brother.

"You'll see," says Mike.

"Linny's been saying that all day," Axl says, impatient to get answers.

"Patience is a virtue," I say, singing it.

"Fuck this, you guys are mental," Axl says, turning around to try and leave once more but Ty grabs his wrist, stopping him from leaving.

"You need to stay," Ty says after Axl faces him with a frown. I notice Ty's hand burning Axl's skin, turning it red and causing the younger to hiss in pain before he snaps his arm from Ty's hold. He looks at his wrist and sees Ty's handprint burned on his skin as Ty returns to his previous spot.

"I love the irony of how ice can also burn," says Anders, and I know he's being truthful while also getting a rise out of Ty. "What an awesome superpower."

"Get the sword," Mike orders Axl. Axl doesn't move as he stares at Mike with a frown. "Get it and bring it here."

Axl looks to us all, but his eyes settle on Olaf's, trying to find guidance from him. Olaf nods at Axl encouragingly but in all seriousness. Axl turns around and goes over to the sword, grasping the hilt and giving it a small pull without much effort, which is why it doesn't come out. He tries once more but fails with a grunt. He grasps the hilt once more but with both hands this time, pulling at it once more, but to no avail.

"Man, how the hell did you…?" Axl trails off as he continues to try and free the sword from being embedded in the tree.

"I told you, I'm Ullr," Mike says, but I doubt his words are enough of an explanation to Axl.

"Who is Ullr when he's at home?" Axl asks, still struggling with the sword.

"God of the hunt, among other things," says Mike.

"And then some," I say.

"Such a waste," says Anders.

"Don't start," Mike says, giving Anders a hard look. I am only glad one of them is trying to avoid conflict. He then looks to Axl. "Just pull the bloody sword out, come back here, and family oracle Olaf will explain."

"Family what?" Axl asks loudly, his attention fully on the sword that is still in the tree.

"Some gods are also oracles," Mike explains. "They know shit." He eyes a smiling Olaf. "We have Olaf."

Finally, Axl manages to pull the sword out of the tree, grunting when his back meets the hard forest ground. Olaf walks over to him, helping his grandson stand up and taking the sword from him.

"Okay, I know this is messing with your head," Olaf begins once they are both upright, leading Axl close to the circle. "But my mother and father were gods, so I'm a god." Olaf waves around the sword to emphasize, worrying that he is waving it around. "My son was a god. He married your mother, who was a goddess."

"And when the sprog of a god and a goddess turns twenty-one, they too become a god, okay?" Mike says rapidly, clearly wanting things to move faster, which I agree with.

"And that's what we're doing here today," Olaf says and Axl turns to him, realization starting to dawn on his face, "turning you into a god."

"Which just happens to be on the day of my twenty-first," Axl says, still not fully believing what we're saying. "Yeah, right."

"This is the ancient ceremony that the twenty-first parties are based on," Olaf says as he points to the circle made of stones with the sword. "But no one except us knows that."

Axl looks to the rest of us, a slow grin appearing on his lips before he shakes his head in denial. "Nah." He crosses his arms over his chest, looking like a child refusing to accept something. "No way are you dicks gods."

"Hey!" I say, glaring at him.

He looks at me sheepishly. "Not calling you a dick, but you know what I mean."

"Good," I say, and I nod in acceptance of his apology.

"Well, if you're gods, then where are your god powers?" Axl asks all of us, and this is where we show the physical evidence to prove we are telling the truth.

"I'm ninety-two years old," Olaf answers.

Axl gives him a disbelieving look. "Yeah, right."

"The power of my poetry bends mortals to my will," Anders says, sounding quite proud and disappointed at the same time.

"As long as they're blonde and stupid," Ty adds to Anders' explanation, and I cannot help the chuckle that escapes me, receiving a halfhearted glare from Anders before he turns to Axl.

"It works on lots of people," Anders says, correcting Ty's previous words.

"Mainly blonde ones you want to screw," says Ty, his voice spiteful.

"Well, at least I do more than making the room slightly colder," Anders fires back at Ty.

"Will you two shut the fuck up?" Mike says, stopping Ty from continuing his bickering with Anders, which I am grateful for.

"I agree," I say.

"The thing is," Olaf begins, the attention of us all going to him, "over the last few thousand years, our powers have well, diminished, till mostly, they are not that powerful." He sighs. "At all," he adds, but Axl remains unconvinced.

"Do the Paper, Rock, Scissors thing," Ty says to Mike. "That freaked me out on my twenty-first."

Mike only sighs, not really wanting to use his gift, even for something as small as playing Paper, Rock, and Scissors. Like Mike, I do believe our powers can be our downfall, but I do not resent it as much, for I love what I can do with mine.

"Right, so Ullr is the god of Paper, Rock, Scissors?" asks Axl.

"Of all games, actually," says Mike, a hint of pride in his voice, but only a bit. Axl only huffs in disbelief. Mike looks to us all, looking hesitant about his resolve. "Okay, let's do it," he breathes out before walking over to Axl.

"Ooh, Mike's going to use his powers," Anders says, taunting. "Must be important." He grunts when I kick him in the shin, silencing his remarks.

"Stop it," I hiss at Anders, and he nods with no promise.

"Paper, Rock, Scissors." Mike nods at Axl. "If after this you believe, will you do exactly what I say?"

"After Paper, Rock, Scissors?" Axl asks before shrugging, standing in front of Mike. "Whatever."

They both begin playing, which ends with Mike winning. Anders, Ty, Olaf and I exchange knowing grins before watching Mike play with Axl. They go again, which results in Mike winning once more. Axl's face turns a bit into shock after Mike manages to win a few more times. Even with more loses, Axl continues to play.

"You'd think sooner or later, you'd win one, right?" Ty begins, amused at Axl's determined face to win at least once. "Just once."

"A fool's hope," I say, sharing a grin with Anders.

"The laws of probability don't apply to Mike," Ty explains further as Mike looks quite relaxed, not looking as determined as Axl as he continues to win each round. Ty sighs as Mike ends the game, winning. "Why couldn't I get something fun?" Axl looks at Ty, starting to believe us. "Believe, bro. It's true."

"Step into the circle," Mike tells Axl, while the rest of us make sure we're standing outside the circle of rocks.

"The stones are from Asgard," Olaf informs Axl, who is staring at the stones on the ground.

"Where gard?" asks Axl.

"Norse god home," says Olaf.

"Oh, take off your clothes," Anders says, stopping Axl from entering the circle.

"What?" Axl asks, stepping away from the circle at Anders' words.

"You don't have to," Olaf reassures Axl.

"Trust me, take off your clothes," Anders insists.

"Gayest god ever," Ty says with a shake of his head.

Anders looks to Ty with a hard look. "I loved that jacket, Linny gave it to me for my birthday and it was totally ruined."

I look to Anders in confusion, hearing this for the first time. "Is that what happened to it?"

"Yes," says Anders.

"And you're telling me now?" I ask.

"You weren't twenty-one and I couldn't exactly tell you how it got ruined, could I?" he counters, to which I huff. I had also loved the jacket, which was why I had given it to him after watching him eye it from afar. "I forgot to tell you when you did turn twenty-one."

"What happened to the jacket?" asks Axl, curious about the jacket's fate.

"Just forget about the jacket," Mike says, starting to get irritated. "You said you'd do what I say and…" he trails off as he begins to nod, "yeah, actually in the nuddy is probably best."

"You're going to film this and play it at the party, aren't you?" asks Axl, refusing to take his clothes off.

"No, Axl," Mike says, voice firm and strong to get his point across. "This stays between us. That's the way it's always been and the way that it has to be."

"Besides, we wouldn't be that cruel," I say. Anders and Ty grin, while Olaf and Mike hold back their own, to which I roll my eyes at. "Okay, _I_ wouldn't. Take comfort in that."

Axl nods slowly, since he tends to believe my words faster than his own brothers. It is probably because I've never lied to him with the intention to cause him harm or humiliation. He begins to take off his clothes. He eyes me and I look away, becoming enthralled by a tree as I hear the sound of Axl fumbling with his clothes.

"Okay," I hear Axl say. I chance a glance at him, glad that he is covering his privates, so I turn to him fully but keeping my eyes on his face. "Now what?"

"Circle," says Mike.

Axl sighs before stepping into the circle, and Olaf extends the sword for him to take. "Hold it over your head," Olaf says as he looks up to the cloudy sky, no longer bright like it had been earlier.

"What for?" Axl asks Olaf as he takes the sword.

"For the lightning bolt," answers Olaf.

"Couldn't just say 'the sign', Grandpa?" Mike says a tad too late.

"For the sign," says Olaf.

I slightly shake my head. "A tad late for that, don't you think?"

"Better late than never," Olaf amends, to which I nod with pursed lips.

"Lightning, right," Axl says as he glances up to the sky, while the rest of us begin to step further away from the circle as we also look to the sky. "What are you doing?" Axl asks us warily after having noticed us retreating away from the circle.

"Nothing," says Ty, offering a smile to his younger brother.

"Just getting a better view," assures Anders.

"We'll still be here," I say.

"Just hold up the bloody sword," Mike says to Axl.

Axl does as Mike told him to do before he glares at us. "Okay, I demand to know exactly what the—"

The thunderbolt hitting the sword causes Axl to scream, while the rest of us look away from the bright light. I feel Anders hugging me to him, getting protective like he does on rare occasions. It's not so surprising, even though he does it on rare occasions. I keep my eyes shut, burying my face into Ander's shoulder. We stumble a bit by a strong wind that almost pushes us into the ground. I release the breath I was holding and look to Axl when I no longer hear his screaming.

"Axl?" I ask worriedly as I step out of Anders' arms, shivering when his warmth is no longer engulfing me. I approach the circle, worrying about the magnitude of the lightning bolt, for mine and Ty's didn't feel like that.

"I had no idea how cool that looks from the outside," Ty says from where he stands some feet away from the circle like everyone else. Pieces of burnt wood still fall as a result of the lightning bolt.

"Oh, bro, yours was feeble compared to that," says Anders. "That was intense."

"Axl?" Mike asks as he comes to stand next to me, staring at Axl still holding the sword upwards, his hair upwards and the sword orange because of how hot it is. "Are you okay?"

"What a rush!" exclaims Axl, grinning and I look away when he stops covering his private parts that I am determined to never lay my eyes on. He is too much of an annoying little brother to me for me to see that.

"Now prepare to be underwhelmed," Ty says grimly, referring to whatever Norse god is within Axl.

"Am I a god now?" Axl asks, looking hyperactive. "Ooh, I feel like a god."

"A million volts just coursed through your body, of course you feel like a bloody god," Mike says, a small smile on his lips as he watches Axl.

"But which god?" asks Axl, and I look around for Olaf, frowning when I don't see him.

"Now what happens is family oracle Olaf tells us—"

"Where's Olaf?" I ask, cutting Mike off and having everyone look around for Olaf.

"He was standing right there," Anders says as he points to the spot where Olaf had been standing on.

"Yeah, I know where he was standing, Anders," Mike says as he looks around. "Olaf?"

"Olaf?" Axl calls.

"What's that?" Ty says as he points to a cloud of smoke a few feet away from us in a ditch. We all run over to it, finding Olaf lying on the ground with his eyes wide open.

"Olaf!" Mike says worriedly as I kneel next to Olaf's head, everyone else gathering around Olaf's spread out body.

"Olaf?" I ask as I place a hand on his forehead, feeling it hot as he continues to mutter words that I cannot understand.

"Is this, like, god language?" Axl asks, but I ignore him as I keep my attention on Olaf.

"This is like the time he took peyote and thought Valerie's cat was Loki," says Anders, and he is right about Olaf muttering the same things he did back then.

"Who's Loki, is he a god?" asks Axl, his voice still exhilarated.

"Yes," says Mike.

"So, am I Loki?" Axl asks impatiently.

"Only Olaf knows," says Mike.

"But I'm a god, right?" Axl persists, and I cannot help the groan of annoyance that escapes me.

"Yes, Axl, you are now a god," Mike says, also getting irritated with the questioning when we have Olaf to worry about.

"Any chance you could put your pants on, be a pants-on god?" Anders remarks, and I agree with him but I keep my eyes on Olaf.

"Olaf," says Mike. "Are you okay?"

Olaf's eyes widen. "Odin."

* * *

**Yay, end of chapter two! I hope you guys enjoyed. Please, I ask that you review this story, or Follow, or Fave. Whatever you're satisfied with. Also, I chose the goddess Gefjon because it is a rather shadowy goddess, and I rather like it. Please, tell me your thought through reviews or PMs, you choose.**

**Also, I will see you soon, in the next chapter!**


	3. Some Birthday This Is

**New chapter! I want to say that I am so happy that people are liking this story. Thanks for the reviews, Faves and Follows, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.**

**I own nothing of The Almighty Johnsons, except for the obvious. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Some Birthday This Is**

* * *

"Well, this was fun," I say with a forced smile as I reach the spot where the cars are parked with Anders behind me.

Anders is carrying the briefcase with the stones of Asgard inside after we piled them all in it. Mike and Ty took it upon themselves to help Olaf over to Mike's car as he is still in a trance and muttering the language of the Norse gods. Anders discards the briefcase in Mike's truck.

"Odin's like the big kahuna of Norse gods, right?" Axl asks, still too excited to be a god and finally wearing clothes. "So, he's got to have, what, a super strength, right?"

I am actually surprised by his reaction. On Mike's twenty-first, he received the crappiest ceremony of us all; from what I was told. His mother had helped him turn into a god, only to abandon him like his father did. The only thing we all know is that she simply walked away from him and most certainly became a tree, leaving Mike to care for his family with the help of Grams and Olaf.

Ander's twenty-first wasn't also that great either; also from what I was told. He did take it better than Mike did, but was still confused with it all. The confusion didn't last long before he became comfortable with what he was and accepted it rather quick. He had immediately started practicing his powers on anyone he laid his eyes on; mainly on blondes he was itching to get in bed with.

Since Ty and I share the date of our birth, our ceremonies had been together. While he was tended to by his brothers and Olaf, Grams took care of me and even dressed me for the occasion. After having been dunked underwater to receive the goddess that was to inhabit my body, I almost froze completely after meeting up with Ty, his ceremony having taken place not far from where mine was held. We both sulked for some time, given the fact that we felt horrible and exhausted that day.

And now, Axl is practically bouncing with joy by being the possible mortal vessel of Odin. Odin is the All-Father, and we need to be completely sure Axl got him. This clarity is vital for all gods and goddesses.

"You come with me," Mike tells Axl after making sure Olaf was on the back of his truck, still muttering.

"If I'm Odin, how come you still get to tell me what to do?" Axl challenges Mike in a playful manner.

"Because I'm still your big brother," Mike retorts. Mike's eyes meet mine and then shift onto Ty, avoiding meeting Anders'. "See you guys tonight." Ty and I nod.

The three of us watch as Axl gets into the passenger seat of Mike's truck with the sword, since it is now his duty to keep it safe. Mike goes over to the driver's seat of his car, purposely ignoring Anders. Anders and Ty flank me as we watch Mike drive away with Axl and Olaf.

"If he is Odin, you know that changes everything, right?" Anders says, meeting my eyes for a second as I sigh.

"Yeah, I know," Ty says before making his way towards his van to leave and put all of this behind us.

"Fun times ahoy, huh?" I say with a tight smile.

Anders nods. "You are most certainly right."

* * *

"He is Odin," I hear Grams say, again. She has been saying this like a mantra ever since Ty dropped me off at my home, and it is working up my nerves.

I roll my eyes from where I stand in front of the mirror in my bathroom. "We're not sure yet."

"When have my visions ever failed me?" Grams asks as she leans on the doorway of the bathroom, giving me a knowing look. Cookie sits next to me, looking up at me with her head tilted to the side in wonder.

I sigh, knowing that her visions have never failed her. "Never, but we're still not sure."

"The signs will be completed by the end of the day," says Grams. "I advise to not worry. Axl will survive this day."

I frown at her in confusion through the mirror as I continue to apply little make-up to myself. "What do you mean?"

"You know better than to ask me that," she says with her arms crossed over her chest. "I'd tell you if anything tragic comes to me in a vision, you know I always do."

The goddess within her—Vör—gives her the ability of foresight. The fact that Grams has the ability to see glimpses into the future is frustrating. One reason is because she doesn't get full images, just glimpses of objects or people. And she has to guess what is they're meaning, but, so far, none of her visions are anything important or tragic that is to happen.

I sigh, offering her an apologetic smile. "I know."

"There is a change of plans concerning your ride to Axl's birthday party," she says with a grin before leaving me alone with a questioning look on my face.

I shrug and begin to plait my brown, wavy hair into a side braid. Instead of crossing the sections over one another, I cross them under. This results in a messy side braid that I have come to adore through the years. I have little make-up, since I like how my skin shines on its own, giving me enough natural beauty, or whatever Ty says.

I leave the bathroom after giving myself a satisfied nod and enter my bedroom with Cookie following close behind. I walk over to the full-length mirror that is next to my closet, examining my outfit. The outfit being a forest green, peasant dress with slightly bell-shaped long sleeves and a crisscross self-tie tie neckline. The skirt is made up of three shirred layers, for extra twirl. To match the dress, I wear knee-high, brown boots with a stacked heel. The color of the dress practically makes my hair shine in contrast, to which I smile.

I turn around and smile at Cookie. "What do you think?" The only thing I receive is a bark of approval. "I'll take that as you telling me how good I look." I turn back to the mirror and frown pensively, trying to figure out what I'm missing. "Oh," I gasp when I realize what I'm missing before going over to my vanity and open the jewelry box to grasp my pendant's chain and pull it out of the box.

Soft red roses cap the pendant, attached to twisting silver vines touched with faux thorns along their length that wrap around a crystal-clear, translucent, cubic zirconia. Attached at the bottom of the pendant is a secondary crystal, this one colored blood red. The pendant is crafted entirely in bronze steel and plated with silver to give it a stunning polished metal finish. The pendant hangs on a silver chain. I clasp it around my neck, nodding with a smile after having finished getting dressed.

Cookie perks up and looks to my door, her head tilted to the side as she tries to figure out whatever she is hearing. She barks as she dashes out of my room, signaling me that someone has arrived to my home, most certainly Ty picking me up to go over to Axl's birthday party. I follow after Cookie, watching her whine and paw at the front door before the doorbell rings, to which she barks angrily.

"My ride's here," I say to Grams, who is making tea in the kitchen.

I frown questioningly when I see her grin. "All right," she says, composing herself before meeting my eyes, hers filled with mirth. "Have fun."

"Sure," I say uncertainly as I turn to the side table that is next to the front door.

I pick up my purse from the side table, a mini crossbody satchel that is cream colored with my belongings in it. The adjustable strap makes it easy to drape over my shoulder.

I take my dusty pink, woven scarf from the coat rack next to the front door. The scarf has crochet-trimmed ends and ball fringe along the sides. I wrap the scarf around my neck when the doorbell rings once more.

"Coming!" I holler for the person to hear.

"Here you go," Grams says as she hands me the box with the cake we made for Axl inside. It is a chocolate cake with different shades of yellow frosting mixed all over it, Axl's name written on the top with the number of years he is old below it. "Go on."

"You sure you don't want to come?" I ask her, but I know she'd rather not risk going to jail by strangling a teenager; her patience with them being rather thin.

"I am absolutely sure," she says before going over to the living room with her cup of tea. She sits on her armchair and flips through the channels. "I'll just stay here and watch my soap operas."

"Okay, don't wait up," I say before going over to the front door. "I'll see you later, girl," I say, ruffling Cookie's hair on her head as she waits for me to leave before she joins Grams in the living room. I open the front door and purse my lips in confusion, realizing this is what Grams must've meant when my means of transportation changed. "Anders?"

"Don't you look ravishing," Anders says as he pulls me out of my house and closes the door behind me before leaving a chaste kiss on my cheek, while I continue to look at him with an eyebrow raised in suspicion. He is freshly scrubbed, wearing a tux, but he manages to make it look like casual clothing. "Shall we get going?"

"What are you doing here?" I ask him, knowing he's got something up his sleeve. "I thought Ty was coming to get me."

"He was," Anders says as he peeks in the box before closing it and looking into my eyes. "Nice cake and I told him you wanted to ride with me."

"So, why am I hitching a ride with you?" I ask him with a knowing look, since Mike had probably not invited him.

"Because I'm your plus one," he says dryly, to which I sigh. "And my plus one has her own plus one." I raise an eyebrow before looking around him to see two women sitting on the backseats of his car.

I roll my eyes at him with a huff as I begin to make my way over to his car. "Of course you always find a way to be the ache in my head."

"Alas, they are for Axl," Anders says as he follows me to his car. "You're still my number one," he says as he grabs my arm and twists me to face him as he grins at me just before I reach to open the door to the passenger seat. He taps the tip of my nose with his index finger. "Never forget that."

I turn back to the car, hiding the blush on my cheeks. "_You_ never forget it."

* * *

"Axl!" I call as I manage to reach him in Mike's backyard, leaving Anders to escort his lady friends into the party.

Axl turns to me when he hears me calling him, grinning when his eyes fall on me. "Linny!" he exclaims as I stand in front of him, smiling up at him. I can tell he has had a few beers, given the fact that I saw him chugging them down when I arrived just a moment ago. "You made it!"

"Of course I did!" I say loudly so he can hear me over the music and the many voices of the people around me. "Happy birthday!" I grin up at his tall frame. "Here," I say, giving him the box with his cake. "Grams and I made it especially for you."

Axl's mouth practically watered when he opened the lid of the cardboard box. "Sweet!" he chuckles before giving me a hug that I return. "You're the best." I chuckle at this before pulling away from him and looking up at him. "Mind hiding it?"

I nod and take the box from his hands. "I'll give it to Val."

My brows furrow when I see his face become blank, as if remembering something. He shakes his head before forcing a smile on his lips. I nod at him before turning around to go into the house, finding Ty and Mike at the foot of the stairs that lead into the house through the back door.

"Hey, guys!" I greet Ty and Mike with much enthusiasm and a smile on my lips as I approach them, knowing that Anders' appearance will make the atmosphere rather tense. I maneuver around the many drunken people in Mike's backyard. It's not even dark yet and some are not looking too good. "I brought cake."

"Grams' cake?" Ty asks, looking at the box in my hands with hungry eyes.

I click my tongue. "Axl's cake."

"He can share," Ty says, looking like he solved a whole mystery case on his own. He then narrows his eyes at me questioningly, and I know what is to come by the teasing grin on his lips. "So, Linny, who drove you here?"

"Anders!" Axl exclaims, bringing our attention over to him before seeing Anders escorting his two vodka girls that are dressed in very provocative archer costumes.

I look to Ty and Mike, receiving a hard look from Mike and a grin from Ty. "Surprise," I mumble, and then we all turn back to Anders with Axl and his vodka girls, who were very much annoying throughout the whole car ride with their flirting with Anders. I clear my throat. "He's my plus one."

"Axl, my baby brother who has become a man," Anders says before he hugs Axl in greeting, pulling back to present the vodka girls to Axl. "I come bearing gifts."

"Oh, shit," Ty mutters.

"Exactly." I nod.

"This is my little brother I told you about," Anders says to the vodka girls, and I am relieved that their attention is now on Axl and not on Anders. "Be nice to him, okay?" The two girls in costumes begin to dance with Axl a bit too close by my standards.

Anders looks over to us just as Mike begins to walk over to him with a rather unpleased look on his face. Ty and I share worried glances as Mike pulls Anders away in the direction of his workshop.

"Here we go again," Ty says with raised eyebrows as he takes a swig from his beer.

I sigh heavily. "Just like old times."

"Linnea?"

I turn around to face whoever said my name and find Valerie descending the stairs, looking a bit tired and pale but with a smile on her face. I smile at her automatically. "Valerie," I say before greeting her with a friendly kiss to her cheek. I hoist up the cake in the box, deciding to distract her before Anders and Mike come out of Mike's workshop. "I brought cake, which Axl wants hidden."

"Grams'," Valerie says with a grin as she takes the cake from my hands.

I nod. "Yeah, I think you should hide it before it's lost."

"I'll do just that," Valerie says, throwing me a smile before going back up the stairs with the cake in her hands.

"You still can't stand her, can't you?" Ty asks me, and I release a deep breath that I was holding back while Valerie was near me.

I turn to Ty. "I try, but she always gives me the stink eye whenever she thinks I'm not looking."

"That's because you defended Anders when she banned him from her house," says Ty in a matter-of-factly tone.

I shrug my shoulders. "I just reacted on instinct," I defend myself, remembering that day rather too well. "I'd do the same for you and Mike." I clear my throat, feeling a bit embarrassed about the whole affair that is in the past. "Anders was in the wrong, but still."

"I know," Ty says, giving me a sympathetic look that I smile at. "Not planning on telling him anytime soon?"

"Nope," I say giddily, popping the second consonant. "He's not ready nor am I."

"Then what you need," Ty says as he grabs a bottle from a cooler that is on one table not too far from where we are standing, "is lots of these." He hands me the bottle after opening it for me.

"Cheers," I say, tapping our bottles together in a toast before we gulp down the contents.

* * *

"Having fun?"

I jump in surprise and turn to find Anders grinning at me as he stands next to me. I glare at him mockingly before taking a sip from one of many beers I've already had, even though I prefer wine over beer any day, but there is not much else to drink, leaving me with no choice. My tummy is full from having eaten some food cooked by Mike on the barbeque not a moment ago, which was very delicious.

I now sit on one of the many chairs on the backyard of Mike and Val's home, resting as the food settles in my stomach. The party is still raging, a few lights here and there. Night is already upon us and Grams' predictions of Axl becoming Odin have not left my mind, worrying me to no end, for Odin's return means all of our lives are in peril.

"I cannot count the number of times a boy has approached me and tried to get me to bed," I say, chuckling before I take a sip from my beer. I blink and try to keep myself conscious and sober, feeling a tad dizzy. I look up at Anders with a smirk. "It's actually sweet."

"Pathetic is what I'd use," Anders says as he looks at the crowd of dancing people in front of us, taking a sip from his beer bottle. I can see the annoyed look on his face as he practically glares at any boy his eyes land on. "You're way out of their league."

"Ah, is that jealousy I detect?" I tease, giggling.

Anders looks down at me and huffs a laugh. "You're tipsy."

"Tiny bit," I say, emphasizing by appearing to be holding something small between my index finger and thumb. I stand up to be next to him. "Not so much."

He gives me an unconvinced look before turning his attention back to the crowd. "Axl's dancing with his soppy flat mate." I follow his gaze and see Axl dancing with one of his flat mates. _Gaia, was it?_ I ask myself.

"It's sweet," I say, smiling at them before they're short dance is interrupted by their other flat mate joining them, looking quite drunk. "And now it isn't."

"That there," Anders says as he points to Axl's other flat mate—Zeb, "is the worst flat mate one can ever have."

"Yeah, for Gaia it is," I say, since Axl seems more interested in partying with Zeb.

"Hey," Anders says, and I turn to him. "Stay over tonight."

I tilt my head at him, smiling as I slightly shake my head. "I have to go to work tomorrow, Anders."

"Oh, come on, I'll drive you," he insists. I know it's him trying to look for companionship in our fucked up relationship where we flirt but never hook-up. Anders always looking to me as his only friend and has said so many times when he is too drunk to remember it the next day. "You have clothes at home, so we have that covered."

"A sleep over?" I ask.

'Sleep over'—for me and Anders—is exactly that, two friends spending the night together and talking about everything. We have them regularly and there is no sexual tension or worries, only us relaxing and speaking with no worries.

"Yes," he answers with big innocent eyes that I roll my eyes at.

"Fine," I sigh, to which he whoops in victory. "But," I raise a finger at him, silencing his moment of victory, "you know the rules. No other females allowed."

"Obviously," he says, his face portraying the obviousness of it.

"Hey," Ty says as he approaches us. "Olaf's awake."

"Finally," Anders says, and I leave my beer on the chair I was occupying.

Anders and I follow Ty, our destination being Mike's workshop, given that it's the only place where we can have some privacy and it blocks out the music and noises from the party. We enter Mike's workshop to find Olaf smoking with Mike and Axl staring at him. I keep quiet about the fact that Olaf is very much shirtless.

"Welcome back," I tell Olaf, who nods at me as he puffs his smoke.

"What did sweet Elli have to say?" Olaf asks me.

I sigh as I come to stand between Anders and Ty, shivering a bit by how close I am to Ty. "She firmly believes he's Odin," I say, remembering Grams' words about Axl becoming Odin by the end of the day. "Well, she says he will be, but you're the Oracle."

"I agree," Mike says as he stares at Olaf. We need his confirmation, since Grams' visions tend to change on _rare_ occasions. "Be oracular, or whatever the word is."

"Is he Odin or not?" asks Anders, beer still in hand.

"If Axl is the new Odin, all the signs—"

"What signs?" Axl asks, interrupting Olaf.

"I'm getting to the signs," Olaf says to Axl, relaxed by whatever he's smoking this time.

"No pressure, Olaf," Mike says.

"Take your time," I add.

"First sign, fire in the night sky for seven nights before he returns," Olaf says, referring to the shooting stars last night. I hum, remembering the small vision that came to me yesterday before the earthquake struck. I actually forgot about that, but find no need to mention it now.

"They were a sign?" Axl asks, grinning excitedly.

"Not necessarily," Olaf clarifies.

Axl's forehead creases in confusion. "You just said they were."

"Will you let me finish?" Olaf says to Axl with a pointed look. "Sign number two: The Earth shall tremble on the day of his arrival."

"Earthquake," I mumble.

"Yes." Olaf nods at me. "But it still means nothing without sign number three." He pauses. "The seas run red, as if of blood." I frown, curious about that one. "And no way has that come to pass." Ty breathes out, catching all of our attention. "What?" Olaf asks him, furrowing his eyebrows.

"The news reckons it was some kind of algal bloom or something," Ty explains.

"Or something," I say.

"Okay, but even that doesn't count as a sign unless the next sign happens," Olaf continues. He scrunches up his face weirdly. "Otherwise it's just freaky shit."

"And what's the next sign?" Mike asks.

Olaf sighs. "The sun shall rise on the sign of Odin, writ large upon the slopes of fire, for all to know that he returns."

"What is the sign of Odin?" I ask.

"The valknut," says Olaf, to which I scrunch up my nose at the weird word that I have never heard of before in my life.

"Like a walnut?" Axl guesses.

Olaf shakes his head after taking a puff. "It's a symbol," he says. "Triangles all mixed up."

"Oh," breathes Anders. I turn to him and frown in question. He turns to me and purses his lips. "I may have some involvement with that one."

"What a dick," Ty says, glaring at Anders.

"I was flogging booze to the masses," Anders informs us. "How am I meant to know I was fulfilling a prophecy?"

"A prophecy!" Axl says in excitement, and I roll my eyes at his childish excitement. "Cool!"

"No, not cool," Mike says grimly.

"And not fulfilled," Olaf says behind Mike's words, to which Axl sighs. "Not until the last sign." He pauses to take a drag from his smoke. "When he returns, he will have two hearts—the heart of man and the heart of the earth."

"Am I some kind of genetic freak?" Axl asks Olaf with an eyebrow raised worriedly.

"Do you have two hearts?" Olaf asks Axl.

"Of course I don't have two hearts," Axl says, his voice a bit snappy.

"What about a tattoo of a heart, plus your actual heart," Anders says, supplying an option, which has some sense.

"No," Axl says with an indignant look. His eyes widen before looking to Olaf. "But if a got a tattoo of a heart, would that make me Odin?"

"I have no idea," says Olay as the rest of us sigh either in annoyance or something akin to relief.

"Well, I want to be someone!" Axl says, annoyed at the prospect of not hosting a god within his mortal body. "So far this whole being a god thing sucks." He huffs. "You guys, you can do something," he says this in a goofy voice before briefly pointing to Ty. "Even if it is just give chicks pointy nipples."

Ty glares at Anders, while I supply an annoyed look of my own to accompany Ty. "Oh, you had to go there, didn't you?" Ty says to Anders, shaking his head.

"Me, apparently I haven't even got the right number of hearts," Axl says before stomping out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"That went well," I sigh. "Some birthday this is."

* * *

**The end of chapter 3! I hope you guys enjoyed! Leave your thoughts in your reviews, Faves or Follows. Whatever you prefer.**

**Well, see when the next chapter comes out!**


	4. Not The Best Birthday

**And here we have the next chapter, which I hope you guys enjoy! I am loving writing this story. I am being careful when I write the chapters because the plot I am developing is a tricky one, which is why I take a while to update. Also, because I have another story to write.**

**I need you to remember that I own nothing of The Almighty Johnsons, except for the obvious things.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Not the Best Birthday**

* * *

"Grams said he is Odin," I say, still discussing the probability of Axl being Odin with Anders, Ty, Olaf and Mike, even though Axl already left in a huff for apparently being no one. "She was rather sure that he will become Odin by the end of the day."

My breath catches in my throat for some unknown reason. My eyebrows knit together, feeling wary as I glance at the door. The feeling of wariness turns into one of dread, feeling the tips of my fingers tingle. I shake my head as a shiver goes throughout my body, my heart flipping anxiously. I ignore the feeling and listen to the Gods around me, even though I feel a pull towards the door.

"He doesn't have two hearts," Olaf says with a shrug of his shoulders. "That would have made him Odin, but he lacks the last sign."

"Well, it seems he's getting one by the end of the night," Anders say, hoping that Axl is Odin for his own purposes. "Grams is almost never wrong in her visions."

"And she is sure about this one," I say. I sigh as I look to everyone. "She's very sure."

"Did she say how he'll get another heart?" Mike asks me. "I mean, it sounds kind of impossible at such an hour."

I shrug. "She told me not to worry because everything will sort itself out before the day ends."

"That's worrisome," says Ty with eyebrows furrowed worriedly.

"Yes, well, when have her visions never been worrisome," I counter, a tad worried about how Axl will get two hearts. "How do you reckon he'll get another heart?"

"I still say tattoo," says Anders. I only roll my eyes at him. "It can be true."

"I doubt a tattoo counts as a second heart," I argue, to which he shakes his head at me before taking a sip of his beer.

"I agree with her," Ty says as he points at me.

Anders purses his lips. "You always agree with her."

"Can we stop this?" Mike says, ceasing our bickering. "We have Axl to worry about."

"Well, Axl needs to be supervised," I say. "I don't think he should be alone, especially since Grams said not to worry, which only means that we have to worry."

"I agree," Mike says and walks over to the door with Ty following him, then me and last Anders, while Olaf remains still, smoking and thinking.

The four of us exit Mike's workshop, looking around for Axl. We find nothing as we scour the backyard with our eyes. Having no results in the backyard, we move to the house, walking around the many partying people. Once in the room that was once the living room, we locate Axl's flat mates before approaching them. A drunk Zeb is being held upright by Gaia and some other guy that seems to also be quite drunk.

"Hey, where's Axl?" Mike asks either Gaia or Zeb, receiving a horrifying screech that makes us jerk our heads back.

"He left, with vodka girl," Gaia answers, while Zeb continues to be lost in whatever world he seems to be in.

"No, he didn't," Anders says with a shake of his head.

"Yeah, he did," Gaia argues with a raised eyebrow.

"No, they're over there," Anders persists and points to the two vodka girls he brought that are dancing on top of a coffee table in the middle of the room with mostly boys dancing around them.

Gaia looks to the vodka girls, but frowns in surprise. "The other one," she says as she turns back to us.

"There is no other one," Anders continues.

"Well, he sure left with one," Gaia says dryly.

I sigh. "Can we just look for him?"

I walk towards the front door, exiting Mike's house with Mike, Ty and Anders following. We all look around, trying to find Axl but come up with nothing. I sigh worriedly, feeling uneasy at the idea of Axl being somewhere on his own with some strange girl.

"Axl scored on his birthday," Anders says, chuckling. "Big ups to him."

"No, we need to find him," says Mike.

"Something feels wrong," I announce.

"Then take it away, Mister God of the Hunt," Anders says, taking a sip from his beer. I look to Mike, imploring him to listen to Anders for once.

Mike sighs in defeat before closing his eyes and breathing deeply. He slowly opens his eyes before his gaze turns to a direction, probably the one where Axl went. Mike starts running, following Axl's trail with me, Ty and Anders close behind. I keep up, breathing through my nose and glad that the skirt of my dress allows me to run without revealing anything embarrassing with my scarf maintaining me snug against the wind chilling my skin. I am only thankful that I normally walk everywhere I go, given the fact that I only have one car and give it to Grams, since she needs it more than I.

Eventually, Ty and I outrun Mike and Anders, being much younger and fitter than the vessels of Ullr and Bragi. Ty and I share a glance, since we're both held back by the fact that we don't know where to go and we can't wait for Mike to guide us when he is behind us.

"This is pathetic," Ty says as he stops running, to which Mike, Anders and I stop with him. I stand next to Ty, still breathing evenly, whereas Mike and Anders pant, completely out of breath. "We'll never catch him at this rate."

"You guys are so slow," I complain, watching Anders and Mike bend over with their hands on their knees, panting and sweating as if they have run a marathon.

"I will thump you both in a minute," Anders says, grimacing as he tries to catch his breath.

"Where is he?" I ask Mike, ignoring Anders' threat.

"They went," Mike begins, taking a deep breath, "Second Street on the left into the park."

"Come on, Linn," Ty says before he starts running, and I follow behind him, leaving Mike and Anders to catch up.

"Run, Forrest, run!" I hear Anders scream, to which I roll my eyes at as I continue to follow Ty, guided by Mike's instructions.

"Where is he?" I ask as we enter the park, finding no sign of Axl, but continuing to run with Ty.

"This way," Ty says and leads the way into the deeper parts of the park, the trees and shadows frightening me a bit, since they tend to hide the imaginary fears in my head about something lurking within them. "There!"

I look over Ty's shoulder and my eyes widen when I see Axl standing in front of the vodka girl Gaia was talking about, a vodka girl that is now aiming an arrow right at Axl. The same feeling of wariness turned to dread from before returns when my eyes go over the vodka girl's hair and shadowed face.

"Axl!" I call.

"No!" Ty calls, causing Axl to glance back at us just when the vodka girl releases the arrow from where she nocked the arrow to the bowstring.

I gasp when the arrow is released, just as Ty and I reach him. The arrow is embedded in Axl's hand that he has over his chest, where his heart is. Axl grimaces as Ty carefully grabs his shoulders and slowly settles him on the ground against him. I kneel next to him and scrunch up my face at the arrow. I look up and sigh in relief when I find the vodka girl gone.

"Oh, shit," Ty says and I turn back to Axl.

"Axl," I say as I place a hand over his cheek as Anders and Mike arrive.

"Didn't quite go to plan," Axl struggles to say, blinking through the pain.

"Oh, God," Mike says when his eyes fall on Axl's wound, eyes wide in worry.

"Or not," Axl breathes, while Anders takes his phone out of his pocket before dialing.

"Ambulance," Anders pants into the phone, staring worriedly at Axl. "We need an ambulance." He continues to say where we are to the operator.

I notice Axl closing his eyes and panic. "Axl, stay awake," I say, tapping his cheek softly to keep him awake but in vain as his eyes close. "Shit." I cup his cheeks and take a deep breath.

"Linny, don't," Ty warns me but I ignore him, keeping my eyes on Axl.

I narrow my eyes at Axl's wound, breathing in when my hands practically glue themselves onto Axl's skin. My hands feel heavy and weighed down; signaling me there is no turning back. Small particles of bronze dust come from under my palms, glowing. I groan when stinging begins to crawl up my arms and settle in my chest, just where Axl has the arrow in his skin. I slightly smile when Axl's eyes flutter open once his pain is relieved.

"There," I say, pulling my arms away as I begin to sway on my knees at the pressure on my head and the hurt in my chest. I close my eyes tight as I place a hand on my right temple. "Ow."

"Linnea!" I hear Anders say, opening my eyes to find myself looking up at him, fighting to keep my eyes open while feeling my body go numb.

"Anders?" I manage to choke out, feeling arms around my shoulders as darkness begins to swim in my vision, knowing what is to come next as I lose the battle against my closing eyelids.

* * *

It's all dark as I dance between consciousness and unconsciousness. I make an involuntary weak sound in my throat, knitting my eyebrows together at the pounding in my head. I take a deep breath before opening my mouth to release it, grimacing at the small sting that leaves my chest. Ever so slowly, I flutter open my eyes, narrowing my eyes in question when I find myself on some bed in a hospital ward with empty beds next to mine. I am only relieved to find myself still in my clothes, which means that my health is in no immediate trouble.

"Fuck," I say hoarsely as I try to sit up, hissing when I stretch my numb joints. I breathe out the remains of my hesitance to sit up, swinging my legs to the side as I rotate my neck to stretch it.

"Linny," I hear Ty's voice and look up to see him approach me with Anders close behind, my scarf and purse in Anders' hands. "You feeling okay?" Ty asks me as he grabs my hands, stroking my knuckles with his eyes shining with worry, and I have to hold back the shiver he sends me through our touch to avoid making him feel bad.

"I'm fine," I say, sighing when a dizzy spell hits me, to which I grimace. "Just very dizzy."

"Can you not freeze her?" Anders tells Ty as he comes to stand next to his younger brother and in front of me, his face impassive, but I know he's worried. "I kind of still need her in my life."

Ty pulls his hands away from mine, as if he was burned. "Sorry," he tells me, giving me an apologetic look.

I smile at him. "It's fine," I assure him. "What happened?" I ask as I look around, disliking the fact that I am in a hospital.

"When the ambulance came, you were still unconscious, which worried the paramedics," Anders explains. "I told them you fainted because you ran too much."

I give him an annoyed look, while he smirks. "Making me look like a wuss."

"Yeah, well," Anders says with a shrug. His face turns serious then. "Axl's fine."

"And lo and behold, he's Odin," Ty adds, crossing his arms over his chest.

My eyes widen. "How? Where is he?"

"The head of the arrow is his heart now," says Anders. "They can't get it out."

"He's in another room," says Ty. "We came to get you."

I nod. "My knights in shining armor." I stand up on my feet, taking a deep breath as I force myself to fight through the dizziness. I shake my head and look between the worried gazes of Anders and Ty. "Let's go."

"You're sure?" Anders asks me, and I nod in response.

"I'm fine."

"Let's go, then," Ty says as he grasps my elbow in a gentle hold, offering support before he guides me out of the room I was held in with Anders following us.

I walk with Ty as he keeps his hold on my right elbow with Anders flanking me on my left, my belongings still in his hands. Ty leads me to a secluded bed that is hid by a curtain to provide privacy, finding Axl awake on a hospital bed and wearing hospital garb with a bandaged right hand and tubes connected to his body. Mike and Olaf stand near the foot of the bed. Each of them turns to me when we enter the secluded area.

"Linnea," Olaf says before bringing me into a hug, to which I smile and return the hug. He pushes me away, but holds my shoulders. "Good to see you are well."

"Thank you, Olaf," I say.

"You're sure you're all right, Linn?" Mike asks me. I turn to him and nod with a small smile before deciding to rest some more by sitting on the end of Axl's bed.

"What happened to you, Linny?" Axl asks me worriedly.

"Not now," I say and motion to his wound with a nod of my head. "What about you?"

"I feel good, actually," Axl says, smiling. "Exhilarated is more accurate."

"Good," I sigh.

"I've figured out my god power," Axl begins, to which I narrow my eyes questioningly, while Mike tries to shush Axl. "Super-fast reactions."

"Doubtful," I mumble as Anders closes the curtains, isolating us from prying eyes and ears.

"And I would have caught the second one," Axl says as he looks between me and Ty with an annoyed look, "if Ty and Linny hadn't distracted me."

"A bit more gratefulness, if not for her you'd be dead," Anders says and I can hear the annoyance in his voice.

"And that's not your god power," Mike says as he stands on the left side of Axl's bed, while Olaf stands next to me, Ty and Anders behind me at the foot of the bed. "That was a fluke."

"No way," Axl says indignantly. "I plucked it out of mid-air!"

"Axl," Mike says as he raises a hand to have Axl shut up. "Shut up and listen. You don't have a god power."

"Eh?" asks Axl, face blank and lost.

"The signs are all in, man," Olaf says and Axl turns to him. "You are the living incarnation of Odin, All-Father, and leader of souls."

"Whoa," Axl breathes. "Is that why I didn't die, because I'm immortal?"

"You have Linnea to thank for that," Olaf says, to which Axl frowns in confusion before looking to me. I nod at him but offer nothing to explain.

"You're not immortal," says Mike. "It was because of Linn and luck you didn't die, you moron."

"I don't think it's wise to call Odin, god of…" he trails off, not knowing what Odin is god of, causing me to roll my eyes at him, "whatever, a moron, do you?" He turns to Olaf. "What am I god of, by the way?"

"Wisdom, victory, magic," says Olaf; listing off what Odin is god of.

"Magic?" Axl asks before he glances at Anders. "Does that mean I can talk chicks into bed like Anders?"

"Seriously?" I ask Axl, giving him a hard look.

"Bloody hell, it's like giving an atom bomb to a toddler," Mike rants in his annoyance.

"So how come I don't get a power?" Axl asks Olaf. "Doesn't seem fair." I roll my eyes at his small way to look at things.

"You will get your powers," says Olaf. "We will all get our powers in full." I notice Mike eyeing Anders, for he knows that Anders is itching to have more power and it angers him. I sigh, knowing Ty is not okay with that, while I actually don't mind at all. "We will become true gods and goddess again, if the quest is complete."

Axl looks at Olaf warily. "What kind of quest? It doesn't involve, like, dragons and shit, does it?"

Olaf sits next to me, but directly in front of Axl. "You need to find a woman."

Axl smirks with teeth and all. "I can handle that."

"Not just any woman," says Olaf. "Frigg."

"Frigg?" Axl asks as he looks around the room with a shrug. "Who the frig is Frigg?"

"Odin's beloved," says Olaf.

"_The_ goddess," I say.

"Yeah, until she and Odin kind of split up, back in Asgard," says Olaf.

"There was rooting around," says Anders, "blame on both sides."

"If Odin and Frigg are reunited, then the house of Asgard will be rebuilt and we will rule as gods once more," Olaf explains.

"Cool," Axl sighs with a goofy smile on his lips. "So how do I find this Frigg?"

"As you are the human incarnation of Odin," begins Olaf, "somewhere out there is the human incarnation of Frigg. You find each other somehow."

Axl nods. "Sweet."

"Not sweet," I scold him.

"There's a catch," says Mike.

"There's always a catch," adds Ty.

The only other reincarnation of Odin—nice kid," Olaf says. I sigh, knowing this story well and fearing it will be repeated. "He was in love with a mortal girl before he became Odin, so he didn't take up the quest." He breathes in before exhaling. "Then he died."

"Because he didn't take up the quest?" Axl asks, and I can hear the fear in his voice at what is being said to him.

"Not exactly," I say.

"A tractor rolled on him," Olaf recounts. "At precisely ten forty-six a.m. on Tuesday the third of February, nineteen thirty-one. And at ten forty-seven a.m., an earthquake hit Hawke's Bay and killed every member of his family." Axl's eyes were solely on Olaf. "God and non-god."

"That's the catch, Axl," says Mike. "If you die before this quest is complete," he pauses, "we all die, too."

"Great," Axl says, almost choking before gulping down. "No pressure, then."

* * *

"Not the best birthday I've ever been," I say as I go through the front door with Anders' supportive hand on my lower back, turning the lights on once inside.

"But not the worst," he says as he closes the door of his flat behind us. "Remember that investor's birthday?" He hummed. "You know, he was the one from that weird foreign food product."

"Yeah, that was weird," I say, pursing my lips as I think about the horrible birthday where everyone was either too stoned or too drunk. "Never again."

"Agreed," Anders says as he guides me to his couch, sitting me down and sitting on the coffee table in front of me. He places my purse and scarf next to me before taking one foot of mine on his lap, beginning to take off my boots for me. "You gave me a scare."

I lean back against the couch. "Axl's alive, take joy from that."

"From his stupidity?" Anders grumbles, turning his attention to my other foot after having finished with the other one. "He should've been more careful."

"He didn't know better," I say, sighing with a smile once my feet were free of my boots. "Besides, like you, he thought with his cock."

Anders rolls his eyes at me before standing and going over to the kitchen. "Not always."

"But you do," I say as I relax on his comfy couch. I snort. "Most of the time."

"Stop being such a thorn," he says as he comes back and gives me a glass of water before reaching for my purse, pulling out a bottle of pills that the hospital gave me for my headache and dizziness. He opens the lid and tosses two pills into his hand before giving them to me. "Drink up."

"Thanks," I say before placing the pills in my mouth and taking a gulp of water to down the pills down my throat. I look to Anders and sigh. "Dreams come true, huh?"

He shrugs as he takes off his tie. "We'll finally have our powers in full and take pleasure in them."

"Is that what you truly want?" I ask him. At his inquiring raised eyebrow I continue. "You can't just want the power that comes with being a god." I place an arm on the back of the couch and bending it upwards, leaning my head on my hand with my legs folded under me. "Do you not want something else?"

He gives me the strangest look I have ever seen on his face. It's there and it makes his cool, crystal blue eyes appear warm, which is no common occurrence. It has me transfixed, keeping my attention solely on him. Not long after having seen the emotion in his eyes, his eyes return to their usual façade. He clears his throat and takes my glass of water to take a sip, wetting his lips with his moist tongue.

"I can't worry about anything else," he says, his eyes focused on the glass of water in his hands, while I continue to stare at his golden hair, since his eyes are downcast. "I don't want to turn into Mike."

"You won't," I assure him, grinning when his eyes meet mine. "A person has to have a stick too far gone up their arse to be like Mike." We both chuckle. "Besides, I like you just the way you are, but I'd love you if you weren't such a man-whore."

"It's the whole package or nothing," he says resolutely.

I sigh dramatically. "Oh, well. I'll have to make do."

He chuckles. "Just imagine, we'll get our powers back by finding this Frigg." I hum, sleep crawling its way through my body, which Anders notices. "Bed time?"

"Rather tired," I say, to which he nods before he helps me to my feet and takes me to his room that holds the most comfortable bed I will ever sleep on. He turns the lights off as we go to his bedroom. I neglect to take off my dress, simply smoothing into the covers on one side of the bed and settling in, while Anders goes to his bathroom. "When do you reckon Mike will start looking for the Frigg?" I speak loud for him to hear me.

"Never, if he has his way," he says as he comes out of the bathroom in sweats and a t-shirt. He turns off lights as he walks over to the bed. "It seems I'll have to take matters into my own hands, again."

I snort as he slips onto his corner with a relieved sigh. "Just try not to cause too much trouble."

He chuckles and we both turn to lie on our sides, staring at one another but not touching. "It's not my fault that trouble tends to find me all the time."

"Less trouble," I say with a grin, while he smirks. "You're a good man, Anders."

"The only one that thinks so," he says with a roll of his eyes as we both hug our pillows under our heads as we continue to stare at one another.

"I'm your best friend," I say. "I'm entitled to do so."

"And Ty's," he adds with a raised eyebrow.

I shrug the shoulder that is not pressing into the bed. "Joint custody."

"I hate to share," he heaves dramatically. He then smiles at me, one of the warmest smiles he has ever shown after such a long time. "You're my best friend, my only friend. I hope you know that and never forget."

I smile at him through the darkened room, taking advantage of his rare moment of sensibility. "I know."

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed! Review, Fave or Follow. Also, don't be afraid to express yourselves. I like any type of review. They inspire me and help me in future chapters.**

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	5. The Magical Dinner of Oz

**Hey, guys! Here's the next chapter. I want to thank you guys for the reviews, Faves and Follows, even though there aren't many reviews, but I actually don't mind that. What I do mind id your thoughts about the chapters, since they inspire me and give me pointers for the future. Still, thanks for the support, I greatly appreciate it.**

**Remember, I own nothing belonging to The Almighty Johnsons, except for the obvious things. Enjoy!**

* * *

**The Magical Dinner of Oz**

* * *

"Hey, Linny?" I hum in acknowledgement to tell Axl that I heard him as I continue to go through papers and signing whatever that needs to be signed on Anders' desk at his office. I am also glancing at the computer to the side, reading whatever message that Dawn needs me or Anders to look at. "You never told me what you can do."

I lift my eyes from the papers strewn about on the desk and turn to Axl, who sits on the couch in the office with Anders next him, both drinking beer as they relax, whereas I work. "What?" I ask him, frowning.

It hasn't been long since Axl got released from the hospital; thank goodness. And not long after that, Anders was right on him about needing to find the Frigg, not that Axl is complaining much, given the fact that Anders is showering him with whatever his younger brother needs. The only things Axl has as reminders of the night of his birthday are his bandaged right hand and a scar on his chest, right where the tip of the arrow is hiding under his skin.

"Your powers," he clarifies. I shush him with a glare when Dawn approaches me with a folder that I find myself glaring at.

"More?" I ask her with exasperated eyes, sighing in annoyance as I lean back on the chair that Anders and I share in his office.

Originally, Anders worked on his own with Dawn as his secretary in his own boutique for public relations, not that I didn't help him when he first started his job. Once I finished my studies, which didn't last long, I joined Anders, but not before taking a few other courses so that I could help Grams—I have a love for flowers like her. Ever since I started working with him, I have been his secretary—as is Dawn—but also his equal; sometimes I've caught myself being his slave when he doesn't feel like working, which is most of the time. I actually have the best jobs ever, even though they're a tad tiring from time to time, but what job isn't.

"I wish I could pity you," Dawn tells me with a grin before she leaves to tend to whatever else needs her attention.

The best thing about having to work with Anders is the fact that I have a _female_ friend. I don't have many friends outside of the Johnson family; I have never found the need to have mortal friends, and it doesn't bother me. The only friends that aren't a god are people who I studied with in school and college, and I haven't seen any of them after I graduated, so not so many friends. I am comfortable with the Johnsons, Dawn and Grams. I have no need for anyone else at the moment.

"You can help, you know," I say, glaring at Anders as he relaxes on the couch with Axl next to him.

"Why, when you do a magnificent job on your own?" he says, eyes as flattering as his words, or he tries to make them flattering. "Besides, you're better at handling clients' issues and whatnot."

"Because they require manual labor?" I ask him, turning back to the papers.

Dawn returns and goes to the small living room in Anders' office, beginning to clean up the mess Anders and Axl left with their finished food. "So I can go now?"

"You may go, Dawn," Anders says, relieving Dawn for the day. "Your work today has been exemplary."

"I live to wait upon you and Linny," Dawn says as she finishes gathering the discarded items in the living room, be it bottles of beer or plates where food had been.

"Another thing I love about you," says Anders.

"I second that," I say as I turn my attention to finishing writing some letters to any agency that might need our services, which Anders says is more my strength, since he claims that I have the magic hand. "You just go and relax, Dawn."

"It's good to see you're over your injury," Dawn says as she nods at Axl's wounded hand.

"My doctor says I need to take it easy," says Axl.

"You and Anders must share the same doctor," Dawn says, and I can't stop the snort that escapes me, earning a teasing glare from Anders before turning back to the papers in front of me. "But you're good to get your own beers now?"

"We will struggle on without you," Anders says, feigning the supposed struggling he will have to go through in his tone of voice.

"They're big boys, Dawn," I say as I finish half of the mess that Anders had on his desk. "I think they can manage."

"Funny," Anders says with a playful glare, which I counter with a grin.

"See you, Dawn," Axl says as Dawn turns to leave, approaching me.

"See you for dinner or something?" she asks me.

"Yes, I need girl time with urgency," I say, smiling up at her before she turns to leave. "Bye-bye, Dawn."

"Bye, Dawn," says Anders. The second Dawn is out of the door, Anders turns to Axl. "It's good you're better." I roll my eyes, knowing where this is going as I turn my attention fully onto them, but remain leaning back on the chair. "Taking it easy." I shake my head at Anders wanting to speed things up with the Frigg. "Not that you can do that for the rest of your life, which is also the rest of my life, as it turns out."

"Anders," I say, warning him to stop and cause Axl no further distress, since he has only recently been released from the hospital.

"Mike should be here if we're going to talk about that kind of stuff," Axl says, looking uncertain.

"Mike's a pussy," says Anders.

"Mike said we should wait for a sign from Olaf," says Axl, to which Anders laughs. "He reckons Olaf's way more onto it when he comes back after a surf."

"And while we're waiting for Mike and Olaf to get their shit together," Anders begins, locking eyes with Axl, "you might drop dead and take us all with you." He pauses. "Not to mention the many innocent people that will perish in whatever cataclysmic event your death provokes."

"I don't need this kind of pressure, man," Axl almost snaps at Anders, his face annoyed. "Not so soon after some woman put an arrow in me."

"He's right, Anders," I say, and Anders opens his mouth to protest. "But you're also right." They both frown at me questioningly. "Look, Axl," I say as I sit up straight and look to him, "the pressure will never go away, wounded or not. You better get used to it."

"But she tried to kill me," Axl argues.

"Listen," Anders begins, and Axl turns to him. "You need to start putting it about."

Axl and I frown at him warily. "Putting what about?" Axl and I ask Anders in unison.

"You, you egg," Anders tells Axl, not looking at me, since he knows better than to do that.

"I'm Odin," Axl says, looking quite insulted and upset. "Don't call me an egg."

"Yes, but like an egg, you need to get laid," Anders says, and I jerk my head back in astonishment at his way of thinking.

_He really does think with his cock,_ I think to myself.

"How come?" Axl asks his older brother.

"To find Frigg, dipshit!" Anders snaps at him. "Don't," he says as he points at me just as I open my mouth to protest, closing it once more with a roll of my eyes.

"It's not a very nice name, is it?" Axl says, turning his attention to the beer in his hand.

I frown at Axl in confusion. "What?"

"Frigg," he says, and I am—quite frankly—taken aback by what he is concentrated on. "It's kind of cold." Anders and I share an odd look before turning back to Axl. "I bet all those other goddesses had much nicer names—Linny's is nicer."

"I'm flattered, Axl," I begin, "but I can't believe these words are actually coming out of your mouth."

"Can you focus, please?" says Anders, annoyed at how easily Axl gets distracted. "We have to get started on this, Axl."

Axl sighs. "How?"

"How?" Anders echoes before a grin slowly appears on his lips. "By letting you lose on the women folk, of course."

"We're screwed," I sigh with a tight smile.

* * *

"Thanks for the ride," I say to Axl as we stand in front of Ty's door, having knocked on it already. "It seems I am needed desperately."

"No, prob," says Axl as the door is opened. "You're the coolest to hang out with, if you were into hanging out more than you do." We smile at one another as Ty greets us with a smile. "Hey, bro."

"Hi, Tiger," I say, hugging Ty briefly before entering his home, hearing the front door being closed. "Did you know that Anders wants to pimp out Axl?"

"What?" Ty asks, and I can hear the frown on his face as I drop on his armchair.

"He thinks I should find Frigg by sleeping with women," Axl explains further as he and Ty come over into the living room. "Says I need to connect with them to find out or something."

"Logically, he's on the right track," says Ty. "You are going to have to eliminate many to find the one."

"By sleeping with them?" Axl asks as Ty pulls his shoes from under the couch.

"That is Anders' take on it," says Ty.

"Anders thinks with his dick," grumbles Axl, showing he disliked Anders' idea.

"Like almost everything," I add, making Ty chuckle.

"He does," Ty says as he sits on the armrest of the couch, beginning to put his shoes on. "Do you have a problem bedding many women?"

"No," Axl answers automatically, and then his face becomes defensive. "No way! I'm not like that." He paces over to the kitchen. "I'm totally into women."

"I wasn't implying you were gay, Axl," Ty says with a raised eyebrow as he continues to put his shoes on.

I grin teasingly. "Unless you are." This only makes Axl glare at me and Ty shake his head at me disapprovingly.

"I was suggesting that you, unlike Anders, have morals," Ty says, while Axl searches Ty's cupboards for a glass before taking one out and filling it with water. "Is that a problem?" He pauses. "Let's say you bed a woman and she's not Frigg. You then have to move on."

"In Anders' plan, you can't get attached to them," I say, relaxing against Ty's armchair after having done Anders' work without him lending a hand. "You have to be prepared for that."

"You have to forget each one that is not the Frigg," says Ty, "even if you're totally into her."

"But I have to do it," Axl says, glass of water in hand, "or you die when I die."

Ty looks up to Axl as he goes to put on his last shoe. "Well, lucky for us you're totally into women then, because logically, you have a lot of women to sleep with." He finishes putting his shoes on and meets Axl's eyes. "The gods fled Norway in the early eighteen seventies." He puts a sweater on over his shirt. "They ended up in central Hawke's Bay, where they farmed, fought, fucked, and caused the occasional natural disaster." He stops to take in air. "But they also drifted apart because gods and goddesses can't stand to be around each other."

"Hey!" I yelp, feeling quite hurt and insulted.

"You're the exception," Ty tells me with an apologetic look.

"Why?" Axl asks.

"Because I'm lovable and I love you guys," I answer, to which they both smile at me with reddened cheeks.

"So bottom line is, far as you're concerned, is you seek one goddess, and she could be anywhere." He shakes his head with an amused smile. "And there are two million women in New Zealand."

"But I won't have to sleep with all of them, right?" Axl asks, worried frown upon his features, which makes me chuckle. "I mean, she won't be, like, Korean, eh?"

"Probably not," Ty appeases his brother. "So starting with those of Scandinavian descent would be the logical way to go."

Axl nods with a grin. "Hot blonde chicks."

"Or not," Ty says as he goes into his kitchen. "Just because you're twenty-one and Odin doesn't mean she's twenty-one." I think about Ty's words, since they do hold some logic. "Logically, she could be seventy." He takes a bottle of wine and walks over to his dining table, placing the bottle of wine on top of it.

"Ew!" Axl's face shows his disgust.

Ty turns to Axl. "Or forty-five and happily married with two kids."

"That is an option," I say, my eyebrows knitted together as I take in Ty's words. "Or a lesbian."

"Well, shit," I say, chuckling.

"Or really, really ugly," Axl adds.

"The beauty within is what matters, Axl," I tell him, but he only shrugs off my words.

"Or on her OE," says Ty. "Or she hasn't even been reincarnated yet, and we have to wait until she is, and one day you're ninety and we're all dead already and your whole life has been wasted in a fruitless search."

"You can be really depressing sometimes," Axl says. I find myself laughing at this as Ty begins to gather his things, getting ready to leave.

"Ain't that the truth," I say as I stand up, going over to Ty. "But he's a cloud of fluffy love."

"I just like the idea you just look at her and something goes 'Ping'," Axl says. I smile at this, since it shows he is too young to be thrust into this life. I only wish he gets to live his own life and not waste away in this quest.

"Me, too," Ty agrees as he smiles at Axl. "We've been summoned to Mike's for a dinner." Ty sighs as he passes me the wine bottle before gathering his coat and keys. "Something is afoot."

"Want to take my place and go to the magical dinner of Oz?" I ask Axl with pleading eyes. "There's Mike, the Tin Man, Mike, the Cowardly Lion—"

"Hey!" Ty says indignantly, while Axl laughs.

"Valerie is the Wicked Witch of the West," I continue, ignoring Ty's outburst. "And you can be Dorothy in my stead."

"Shit, no," Axl answers quickly, wiping the smile from my face.

"I like you less," I tell him playfully, and he only chuckles.

"And could you not tell Mike about this conversation?" Axl asks Ty, looking worried that Ty will rat him out to Mike.

"Not tell Mike that Anders is trying to pimp you out to the world?" Ty says, making as if he is wondering about it. "I can live without that lecture."

"Me, too," I pipe in as we all gather our things, getting ready to leave our own ways. Only this time, I'm leaving with Ty, which dampens my spirit.

* * *

"Well, that's great," I say from my seat that is next to Ty's, his being to Mike's right, who is at the head of the table. Valerie sits to Mike's left and opposite to Ty. All of us are enjoying dinner after Ty and I have been informed about Mike and Valerie having an opportunity to try for a baby once more, and I am thankful that Valerie's attention is mostly on the conversation than on me, since the start of dinner consisted of pushing food around our plates awkwardly. "I'm really happy for you guys. Such opportunities are scarce."

"Thanks, Linn," Mike tells me with a grateful smile, which I return with a soft smile of my own.

"Well, how soon until you can try again?" Ty asks.

"We haven't decided if we will," Valerie says while leaning on her hand, avoiding Mike's gaze as she sips from her wine.

"I think you guys should," I say, and I am actually surprised to find Valerie giving me a smile. I manage to not let my eyes widen in surprise and just smile in return, knowing this a rare occurrence.

"Well, if you need money for—"

"It's not about money," Mike interrupts Ty, taking a sip from his beer with a look that makes it clear that they need no economical help or any of the sort, which I have no problem with, since Mike can be quite prideful.

"You hear stories all the time about couples who get pregnant when they stop trying," Ty says before awkward silence takes over the table.

"I've heard of those stories," I pipe in, giving Ty some support before taking a bite from my dinner.

Mike nods. "You do hear those stories."

"A lot," Valerie says as she strokes her hair absentmindedly while looking down at the table, looking quite pensive.

Ty and I share a look, both of us at a loss for what to say to make the conversation lighter or anything that is not so tense. I mean, who can make such a situation better without having the power to make Valerie pregnant out of thin air, not that I want Mike to tether himself to such a woman. This being an opinion I share with Anders.

"We weren't helping, were we?" Ty asks, looking sheepish for both me and him. Both Mike and Valerie sigh with forced smiles on their lips.

"Not much," says Mike.

Valerie looks up to glance at me and Ty. "But we forgive you both."

"Great," I sigh.

"Hey."

I perk up at the familiar voice that brings a smile to my face, turning around to find Olaf entering the house through the backdoor with a bag in his hands, looking quite happy, as he always does. His eyes widen in pleasant surprise when they fall on me and Ty, approaching us at the table.

"Hey, Ty," he greets. Ty and I stand up from our chairs, Ty hugging Olaf first, both of them chuckling. "Love you, man." He releases Ty before turning to me, grinning widely. "My sweet Linny," he says before we share a grand bear hug, swinging from side to side before pulling away from one another. "Love you just as much."

"You too, Olaf," I say before his attention goes to Valerie and Mike.

"Val." Olaf nods to Valerie with a smile. "Mike."

"Olaf," Mike greets with a smile and a nod.

"No surf, Olaf, anywhere?" Valerie asks, her annoyance at having Olaf at her house being quite evident in the tone of her voice, which is a reason why I hold back the snappy remark that is on the tip of my tongue. There is also the warning look Ty is giving me, to which I sigh in annoyance.

"Dead," Olaf answers as he takes a piece from dinner before eating it.

"Bummer," Valerie remarks, keeping the sarcasm hidden; although, she means for it to be heard. Her smile is forced, that much is evident. "I suppose you want some dinner."

"Only if there's some going on," Olaf says as he keeps an arm on my and Ty's shoulders.

"Of course there is," I say, smiling at Valerie. "Right, Valerie?" She nods before going to the kitchen with her glass of wine, and I can finally drop my fake smile.

"Thanks for returning my call," Mike whispers to Olaf, so that Valerie can't hear.

Olaf's eyebrows furrow, his mouth still full. "What call was this?"

"On the phone I gave you," Mike answers.

"Small technical problem," says Olaf, his mouth still full.

I raise an eyebrow. "What technical problem?"

"It's at the bottom of a long-drop," Olaf says as Mike scowls at him from his chair.

I huff, an amused smile on my lips. "That's not a technical problem."

"Agreed," says Olaf. He turns to me, grinning with a mouth full of food. "I just couldn't outright say it is at the bottom of a long-drop."

"You kinda did," I say, to which he shrugs innocently before he pulls me close to his side to hug me, and I return the hug as best as possible, since he is giving me a side-hug and Ty is on his other side.

* * *

"Coma Rob?" Ty asks Mike, holding a beer in his hand.

Olaf, Mike, Ty and I stand in Mike's workshop after having finished and uncomfortable dinner with Valerie throwing Olaf some snappy remarks and the god ignorant of them as he makes laughter and such. Dinner was delicious, but I can't say I enjoy the woman of the house as much as I enjoyed dinner.

Now, I find myself surprised after having absorbed the information Mike has. He explains to us the current state Rob is in, since he is supposed to be in a coma and looking almost dead, if I remember correctly the last time I visited him at the hospital, which was a long time ago. More accurately speaking, the day I found out he was in a coma, having brought flowers for him when I did visit. It was also the first time I had met Valerie, since she was by his side and not together with Mike at the time.

"Don't call him that," Mike scolds Ty. "It's a persistent vegetative state. It's not a coma."

"Well, 'Coma Rob' sounds better than 'Rob the Persistent Vegetable." I snort at this, ceasing the sound at Mike's scowl directed at me.

"It's also better than 'Dead Rob'," I say, earning a disbelieving look from Mike.

"Seriously?" Mike asks me, but I only shrug in response. "Those are not words I want to hear right now, Linn."

"I don't mean dead-dead," I say. I honestly did not, but that is what I gathered when I had seen him and his situation was explained to me. No one deserves to be in such a state. It's as horrible for the person in the coma as it is for those who love him that have to wait for the day that the person awakens from the coma. "He just looks dead."

"That is still not helping," says Mike, sighing.

"She is right," Olaf says, and I give him a grateful smile.

"Wait, does this mean he's waking up?" Ty asks, stopping us from straying from the topic at hand, which we almost did.

Mike sighs heavily, looking quite weary, both emotionally and physically. "It means he was talking the same Norse gobbledygook that you"—he points at Olaf—"were spouting."

"How long has he been in the coma now?" Olaf asks, his face portraying an idea to a possible answer to Mike's question.

"It's not a coma," Ty corrects.

"It's a persistent vegetative state," I add, grinning with Ty, while Mike rolls his eyes at us.

"Been a vegetable, then?" Olaf asks, having modified his question.

Mike sighs, thinking as he shrugs. "Fifteen years, give or take. Why, is that important?"

"Well, I don't know," says Olaf, shrugging as I sigh at the answers he offers. "Do you think it's important?" he counters Mike's question with one of his own.

"I'm asking you," Mike says, his hands waving at Olaf. "You asked how long, like it was important."

"Rob is inextricably linked to you, so if it's important to you, it's probably important to him," Olaf explains, his answers only making my head spin at his words, which is normal and the reason why I avoid going to Olaf to get answers.

"He's in a coma," Mike says. Ty and I open our mouths to correct him, but he waves his arms at us, looking quite frustrated. "Or whatever it's called," he says, silencing me and Ty. "Breathing is important to him. How does whatever's happening to me affect him?"

"We are connected," Olaf begins his explanation. "You, Coma Rob, Axl, us," he says as he also glances at me and Ty. Ty and I nod along, paying acute attention to Olaf. "All connected."

"So is he waking up?" Mike asks.

"That's something only Rob knows," Olaf answers.

"Awesome," I say, smiling as I take Ty's beer from his hand before taking a sip to stop my mind from continuing to make sense of whatever it is that we have been talking about for the past half-hour. I give him back his beer after having gulped quite a decent amount. I cringe a bit at the taste, disliking it, but finding need for it at the moment.

* * *

**There you go! I hope you guys enjoyed. You know the drill. Review your thoughts, complaints and whatnot, I am all ears for them. Fave or Follow to your liking, I love those too!**

**So, this is where the chapter ends, so keep a lookout for the next chapter!**


	6. Soda with Margaritas

**Hey! Here's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long, I had a lot of things and another story to deal with, so it was a bit tricky to update this one, but I made it possible.**

**I want to thank those who update and Fave and Follow. It was what told to me hurry it up and update with no more delays. I do so hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**

**Remember that I own nothing that belongs to The Almighty Johnsons, except for the obvious things.**

* * *

**Soda with Margaritas**

* * *

"Anders, I need you to pay attention to me," I say with a folder full of papers of companies from which we can benefit from, but I need Anders to look them over to have his opinion. The point of being partners and such is that we need to work together, especially when making compromises with other people that will be giving us their money for us to do our work. "It's difficult to work when the boss is not paying attention to his work."

"I do pay attention to you," Anders says from where he's perched on the table in the office, his attention being fully on the many photos of blonde models he had Dawn acquire for him, telling her that it was for some extracurricular project of his. "Besides, you're also the boss, which entails that you can also make decisions for us on your own."

"Yes," I begin as I take a photo from his hand and throw it onto the table, bringing his eyes to mine, "but I'd also like your opinion, since we're _both_ the boss. You looking at some photos of Scandinavian women aren't work."

"I love it when you get bossy," he says, grinning like the bloody Cheshire cat, to which I groan in annoyance. He sighs. "Come on, Linny," he begins, his tone of voice low, so as to not alert Dawn to whatever he's going to say. "We have a responsibility as gods, which takes priority, but I promise to give you my undivided attention when I find a lead."

I think it over as I cross my arms over the folder in my hands, pinning it against my chest. "Fine," I sigh in defeat, knowing his stubbornness will win against my own. He grins victoriously before turning his eyes back to the photos on the table.

I turn away from him as a fairly short, blonde woman enters the office with a package in her hands, telling me we have delivery. The woman is smaller than me with very short hair, her bangs being a tad long. I also notice a tattoo on her right arm. She kind of reminds me of a fairy, she's only missing the wings.

I look at the woman's eyes, freezing on the spot like she does, both of us staring at one another. A fluttery feeling rises within my chest, making me rather nervous and wary of this woman, but I do not know why. My blank look turns into a frown as I look at her closely; I find nothing wrong with her that my eyes can tell, but my senses tell me otherwise. This unease I feel is not something I am enjoying, and I do not think it is a coincidence that this feeling is quite similar to the one I had on Axl's birthday.

I smile at the woman as politely as I can. "Good morning."

"Good morning," says the woman with a nod and a small smile coating her lips. She raises the package in her hand, looking a bit nervous. "I have a package."

"I got it," Dawn says as she stands up from her chair to address the woman, who gives the package to Dawn. I stare at her for a few more seconds before returning my attention to Anders, who is still surveying the photos that are spread out on the table.

"This isn't productive at all," I say as Anders hums before going through a portfolio filled with even more pictures of models of Scandinavian descent.

"Another one for your collection," Dawn announces as she places the recently-arrived package on the table with photos of models pinned under it, to which I roll my eyes at.

"God," Anders releases a sigh, sounding disappointed, "the models in this town are a mangy lot."

Dawn crosses her arms over her chest. "Yet you still attempt to sleep with all of them." I snort at this, for her words hold truth in them.

"Would either of you turn gay for her?" Anders asks us as he turns to us while showing us a picture of some model in a white bikini, causing me and Dawn to sigh in frustration at his ignorance.

"Who am I charging this to by the way?" Dawn asks, completely ignoring Anders' question as I do, but I give Anders an annoyed look that he looks away from.

"Call it a special secret project," Anders says as he throws the picture back on the table, his attention returning to the portfolio to keep searching for the Frigg, which is something that is beginning to annoy me.

"Great," I say with a roll of my eyes.

"I don't have that budget code," says Dawn as I make my way over to my and Anders' desk to go through what Anders and I are supposed to be working on.

Anders hums in thought as I begin surveying potential people that I want to make business with. "Then charge it to the vodka people—they've got the money."

"The dragon lady called from the Northern Dragons again," Dawn announces as she walks over to me, catching my attention as I frown in my curiosity as to what other problem there might be with the netball team.

"You deal with her," says Anders. "She likes you."

Dawn nods as she gives me a copy of the Northern Dragons folder. "Because she hates you," she says to Anders.

"You only had to keep your mouth shut, Anders," I say as I look over the papers in the folder, whereas Dawn looks over another folder of the Northern Dragons, since they have many issues because of a certain player in their team. I look up to Dawn. "What's the problem now?"

"It's about Karla Svensson," Dawn answers.

"What's she done this time?" Anders asks, his attention finally being away from the search for the Frigg.

Dawn approaches him as I look at the photos that were taken of Karla, but keep my ears alert to what Dawn will say. "There are photos at an Elomeno P gig. In them, she's dancing with no top on."

"Oh, for the love of…" I trail off in my annoyance at such an incident occurring. _Why would a woman degrade herself like that?_ I ask myself, for I find myself with no answer to my own question.

"Oh, doing her bit to publicize the great sport of netball, no doubt," Anders says, his attention not fully on the woman that had no top on.

"Or publicize the great aspiration of pornography," I remark, leaning back on my chair with the Northern Dragons' folder on my lap with the photos of Karla, turning them away to not have to stare at them.

"It was an all-ages gig," Dawn says as she glances at me, looking to me for some morality, since Anders tends to be a bit perverted, "the average age being about twelve."

Anders chuckles. "Giving the girls something to aspire to and the boys something to dream about." He jumps off the table before going over to some drawers next to my and his desk, ruffling around in his search for something, which peaks my curiosity.

"When you've sorted out your sex life, please deal with it, Anders," Dawn says, her annoyance with him quite clear.

"Linny will take care of it," he says, making me raise an eyebrow at him as I lean my elbows on my desk with the folders I have to go through next to me.

"Doubtful," I say.

He frowns at me. "Why?"

"Because I have these"—I motion to my current work with a wave of my hand—"to go through," I say, earning a playful glare from him in return as he keeps looking around the place, while I quickly hide the pictures of Karla from him.

"You can sort this out yourselves, I assume," Dawn says as she begins to leave to her office.

"Oh, get me the photo of Karla with her norks out. That'll help," Anders says, earning a loud groan of annoyance from Dawn before she leaves me and Anders on our own. Anders whoops as he unfolds a poster of the Northern Dragons with Karla Svensson in front of her team and the team's name over their heads.

An eyebrow of mine rises in my curiosity. "What are you humming about?"

"I think I have a lead," he says, but this does not bring me relief, only dread for whatever he has planned for Axl. He rolls the poster again before turning to me. "I'll be popping out for a bit," he says as he begins to gather his car keys and such with the poster tucked under an arm.

I stand up from my chair with a frown. "What?"

"I'll deal with your tantrum later," he says as he goes to put his coat on. "I'll be back in a jiffy."

"Anders," I say with my tone a warning for him to freeze where he is standing and say that he has work he needs to attend to with me.

He turns to me, cupping my face with his hands. "I'll even buy you dinner, if you deal with the scary dragon lady," he says, my heart skipping a beat as he holds my face between his hands with his own blue eyes clashing against mine.

I exhale heavily as I cross my arms over my chest. "Fine," I say before pointing my index finger at him with narrowed eyes. "I want dessert."

"You got it," he says with a grin before pecking my cheek and taking his leave, leaving me and Dawn to manage the office in his absence.

* * *

"You took your time," I say as Anders enters the office not a few moments before the sun begins to set, leaving me with the paperwork that he said he was going to help me with and to deal the dragon lady. I cover my mouth with the back of my hand as a yawn escapes my lips, water gathering my eyes with the yawn, which I blink away.

Every muscle in my lower body aches from having been sitting on this chair for the whole day, especially my back, which I will have Anders massage for me. What I hated the most was talking to the lady of the Northern Dragons, having to hear her rant for more than two hours about me needing to do something about Karla's pictures with her 'norks out'. She even ranted about how Anders is an arse, which I didn't argue with that much.

Not only that, but I also look like a mess. My brown hair that I normally keep loose and free is a mess. It is tangled from me kneading my fingers through it so much in my frustration, leaving no choice but to bundle it up into a messy bun with many locks having escaped the confines of the bun. My knee-length, black dress is now wrinkled, my black ballet flats next to my feet, since they were beginning to hurt.

"I know you're ticked," he says as he raises his hands, treating me like some animal he is trying to calm down, and this is something that is not helping him at all. "My errand took longer than I thought."

"You don't say," I say, sarcasm dripping from my mouth as if it was saliva. "We're going to eat wherever I want and I'll order whatever I want, so be ready to lose for your irresponsibility."

"I know." He nods as he looks around the office while walking towards our desk. He frowns as he takes his jacket off, placing it on the back of my chair, which I am leaning against in my exhaustion. "Where's Dawn?"

"Do you even know what time it is, Anders?" I ask him with one eyebrow raised; inquiring whatever explanation he can give me for his tardiness. "I sent Dawn home after she finished her work like the faithful friend that she is, leaving me to deal with yours and my own, which I _just_ finished."

"You're amazing," he tells me, grinning. I look up at him with wrinkled brows, disbelieving his statement. "It's true. You put up with me, which should earn you the award of best woman in life."

"I agree," I say as I begin to put my heels back on. "I'm hungry, so let's go."

"One more thing," he says as he picks up the phone of the office and dials a number, and I look on curiously.

"What are you doing?" I ask, but he shushes me as he perches up on our desk with the phone to his ear.

I sigh, giving up on insisting as I look down at my dress, making sure it looks fine, if we go to a restaurant. The print on the dress is abstract, looking like red and blue paint splattered on it beautifully with golden brushstrokes. It has buttons adorning the shoulders of its short sleeves and an elongated buttoned slit in the back. Nodding in satisfaction, I try to unwrinkled it as much as I possibly can.

"All hail Odin," Anders says, his greeting telling me he called Axl. "To apologize." I frown at his words, earning a pointed look from him. "Seriously," he says after Axl having probably scoffed at him. "I came on way too strong this morning. You're still getting used to the whole deal. It was wrong of me to put pressure on you. And I hope you have a good time on your date tonight." He pauses. "Because I'm proud of you for getting back on the horse. How the last chick you went after put an arrow in your chest." I punch his knee, making him flinch with a bit of a pained look on his face, rubbing the area I punched as he contains the sound that wanted to leave his mouth. "If that was me, that would definitely be playing on my mind. I know, I know, that's what I'm saying. Go out, have a good time, and when you're ready to talk about the other thing, over to you." He hangs up the phone, making me suspicious of his grinning face.

"What's got you so happy?" I ask as he turns to me, still grinning.

"Nothing, so come on," he says as he jumps to his feet and puts his coat back on, while I stand up and put on my own coat before grabbing my purse. "I've got a dinner that I owe you for being you." He puts an arm around my shoulders, guiding me out of the office with him.

"I want red velvet cake for dessert," I say, causing him to whine, since he dislikes red velvet cake. "No pouting, you got yourself into this."

"I know," he sighs.

* * *

"This is nice," I say as I look around at the comfy restaurant Anders picked, having convinced me to at least let him pick where we'd be eating tonight. I smile as the sound many voices that are conversing with one another fills my ears with the sounds of a bar and kitchen at work accompanying it. "It's not a strip joint, so that alone is enough for me to let pass any of your recent wrongs."

"I do know how to please you," he argues, seeming insulted that I said that he would've had to work much to earn forgiveness. "It's my duty and responsibility to know you better than I know myself, given that you're the only person in this entire world that gives a crap about me, so I need to make sure we're always fine, which is what prompted me to make this reservation."

"Anders," I begin with my tone warning him that his words are wrong as I put my menu down on the table to maintain my attention fully on him and the frown that decorates his face. "People do give a crap about you; you just make it hard for people to show how much."

"Yeah, whatever," he mumbles as he continues to look over the menu without really paying me any attention. "I just want to put this day behind us and be people who are not really gods for once."

I gasp mockingly, causing him to look up at me with startled eyes. "Anders Johnson doesn't want to be a god for one night?" He huffs, but I can see his lips beginning to twig upwards. "The world must be ending for sure."

"You know what I mean," he says with a grin on his lips, which makes me smile, and my stomach flutters with pleasure when seeing it there. He exhales heavily before dropping the menu on the table and grabbing one of my hands in his with ease, since our table is meant for two and is rather small. I become rather warm and nervous when his hand grips mine as his eyes lock onto mine. "You are currently the most important person in my life, so don't go defending others who are not and don't care for me as you do."

"Why can't you be like this all the time?" I ask as I take his hand in both of mine, stroking his knuckles, which is something he has always liked, apart from having his hair combed while lying on my lap. "You're never this kind or honest around others."

"Because they're not worth it," he says and my eyes snap up to meet his from having been staring at his larger hand in both of mine. "They're not as understanding as you, they don't listen to me rant and bitch about everything as you do, and they don't put up with my messed up self like you do." He sighs heavily. "There's no one like _you_."

I smile fondly. "Sentimental prick."

He snorts. "Overly dramatic chick."

We both chuckle.

"Mister and Missus Johnson," our waiter says as he approaches the table with a notepad in hand. He wears a black buttoned-up shirt with black dressing pants and matching black shoes. His dark hair is combed back with dark brown eyes to go with his pale complexions. "I'm Jason, and I'll be your waiter for the night. Are we ready to order?"

I pull away from Anders and pick up my menu. "Yes, I am," I say and look to Anders. "Are you?"

He looks at me with narrowed eyes that are curious and a playful grin. "I'll have the special."

"Me too," I say as I give the menu to the waiter as Anders does the same. "Also, I want your signature margarita, please."

"I'll have some whiskey," Anders says as he gives his own menu to the waiter, who is writing down our order on his notepad.

"Scratch that, he'll have a soda," I say as I lean my elbows on the table and join my hands together. Anders frowns at me, and I shrug my shoulders innocently. "You're driving tonight, and I deserve to get wasted if I want, especially with how hard I worked on my own today." I turn to the waiter, who is looking between me and Anders for a final answer. "A soda for him and margaritas for me."

"As you wish, Missus Johnson," the waiter says with a small nod before tucking the menus under his arm and gripping his notepad in one hand. "If there is anything you need, just call for me."

"We will," I tell him before he departs with one last smile and nod of his head.

"How long have you been 'Missus Johnson'?" Anders asks me after the waiter has gone, leaning his elbows on the edge of the table with his narrowed eyes centered on me. "Please, tell me we didn't elope in one of our drunken nights that we tend to cause a lot of problems by the time we're hungover."

I chuckle with a shake of my head. "I just thought we'd avoid the awkwardness that comes after correcting someone that we are not a couple."

"Quite right," he says as Jason returns to our table while balancing a silver tray with our drinks on top of it.

"Here we go," Jason says as he hands me my margarita before giving a very grumpy-looking Anders his delicious virgin drink, causing me to smile as I hold onto my margarita with both of my hands. Jason tucks the silver tray under his arm before smiling at us. "I'll return shortly with your dinner. Is there anything else you'd want to enjoy yourselves with?"

Anders opens his mouth as he glares at his glass filled with soda, but I am faster with my words. "That will be all. Thank you, Jason." I smile as Jason does the same before he turns around and disappears amongst the many tables in the restaurant. I look to Anders with a raised eyebrow. "Stop being such a child."

"This isn't me, Linny," he whines as he glares at his soda, but I shrug, not really pitying him or feeling any sympathy, since he has drunk many times and continue to do so. One night will not kill him.

"Suck it up," I say with an impish grin as I raise my glass for a toast. "Now, let us toast."

He exhales an annoyed sigh before raising his glass as well, meeting mine with small contact. "To what are we toasting on this most brilliant night?" he asks, looking quite displeased with his drink.

"To our current success and to luck with finding the Frigg," I say, which brings a smile to his lips before we cheer and take a sip from our drinks, ready to enjoy the night ahead.

"Care to dance?" he asks as I down the sip of margarita I had just taken, and he motions to the small dancefloor that is not so full and has a few couples dancing to a slow tune that is provided by the band that is playing live. "I know you love to dance."

I sigh before nodding while shrugging my shoulders. "Sure," I say, and he stands up to walk to my side and offers me his hand for me to take, which I do before standing up and following his smirking-self to the dancefloor. "You do know I can be a horrible dancer."

He chuckles as he places a hand on my waist, while the other takes hold of one of my hands in his. I place my free hand on his shoulder and then we begin to sway to the soft and slow tune of the song, our steps matching the other couples who are also dancing around us. I cannot help but smile, since I am enjoying this time with Anders, just like any other moment we share together, but I cannot help but think that we really are a couple sometimes. I mean, look at what we are doing, but I know better.

"We're both horrible dancers when it comes to anything that requires us to jump around like some lunatics," he says with a grin plastered on his lips. "We might even break our backs."

"We're not that old, Anders," I argue as he shrugs, but still grinning like the Cheshire cat. "We're in the prime of our lives and at the perfect time to raise a family."

He raises an eyebrow at me, looking quite panicked. "Is this a dream you're talking about or a nightmare?" We continue to sway to the music. "Please, tell me there's not a chick out there that sent you in here to tell me she's knocked up with my kid."

"Would it be that bad?" I ask him, not believing that he is against having children.

"No comment," he says as he seems to be looking at something over my shoulder. "Food's here." I turn to our table and find Jason placing our food on our table with much care. "Go ahead, I'm gonna wash up."

"All right," I say before we detach ourselves from one another. I go back to our table, while Anders leaves to wash up. "Hello, Jason," I say as I sit on my chair with a polite smile on my lips. My eyes scan the food, making my mouth water. "The food looks delicious."

"Everything is as requested," he says as he straightens up. "Are you satisfied with your food, Missus Johnson?"

I grab the fork and embed it into my food to take a piece into my mouth, chewing it with enthusiasm and zeal at how flavorful it is. "Everything's excellent." I smile up at Jason. "Thank you, Jason."

"May you and Mister Johnson enjoy yourselves," he says with a small nod of his head before he turns to leave and tend to other tables.

"How's everything?" Anders asks as he sits opposite to me on his chair, looking down at his plate a tad breathless, to which I raise an eyebrow at.

"Everything's good," I say, frowning at him. "Are you okay?"

"Never better," he says, which is not convincing at all with his grin as wide as it is. "Speaking of _the_ goddess," he begins, looking down at the table to avoid meeting my gaze, which is the signal for me to start worrying, "I have plans for us tomorrow night, if everything goes well tomorrow."

"I wasn't speaking of _the_ goddess." I frown at him worriedly, taking one large sip of my margarita to prepare myself for whatever he is going to say, which I know I won't like by the way his body language is speaking to me. "What kind of plans?" I ask with an eyebrow raised in concern.

He sighs, and his eyes meet mine with a look of apprehension with however I might react. "I think I found our first Frigg candidate."

"Right." I nod, then anger begins to bubble up from within me when I see something rather off on his neck that has me on my feet and putting my coat on in haste, earning a look of confusion from Anders.

"Where are you going?" he asks as he looks up at me with his fork still in the air and not having made it to his mouth.

"Away from you," I hiss at him, making sure not to bring attention to us by raising my voice as I take my purse and place it on my shoulder. I point at my food. "You better be bringing that to me without making contact with me, you arse."

"What did I do?" he asks, seeming to be innocent in all of this as I stand next to him.

"Why don't you ask the slut that left the lipstick on your neck, you asshole," I snap at him before turning around and stomping out of the restaurant, ignoring the many calls of my name as I begin my way home on foot with determined resolve to ignore all assholes tonight.

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Ooh, Anders got busted! Linny is not so forgiving and is not one that accepts any apology that is thrown at her, which Anders knows better than anyone. Can't wait for the next chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed!**

**Remember to review me your thoughts, love me through Faves and like me through Follows.**

**See you at the next update!**


	7. This Is Where Duty Starts

**Hey! I know it took me longer to update, but things have been a bit busy in my life, so I decided to give you guys another chapter with sweet moments here and there for you guys to enjoy, which I hope you do enjoy.**

**Remember that I own nothing of The Almighty Johnsons, except for that which is obviously mine. Enjoy!**

* * *

**This Is Where Duty Starts**

* * *

I can practically breathe fire with how angry I am, and true anger is something that I only experience on rare occasions. I like to consider myself calm and collected, or even a pacifist, considering the company that I keep around myself. I so dislike being this angry, but this is part of being a goddess who is human. Gods and goddesses are entitled to feel such humans, even in these times with how diluted the power of the Norse gods have become. Oh, but how angry I feel at this very moment, wishing that I didn't want it, but I also want it.

Unlike many people, I rarely get angry at Anders. Maybe it's because I'm in love with him, maybe it's because we've been friends since I was born or maybe it's because he has this place in my heart that no one can replace; maybe all of the above, who knows. Still, I can't help but feel that I may be insignificant to him when it comes to other women, since he'd rather fuck one when he is spending time with me, but how can I compete?

Let's look at the facts. Usually, Anders goes after women who are taller than him, which may be some kind of kink of his. Against that, well, I am only five-foot-two, so I have no win there whatsoever. There is also the thing about them being a tad floozy or too slutty, which I am so not aiming to be like in life. I have self-respect, thank you very much. There is also the fact that they are easy, and I seem to be quite a challenge, considering the amount of relationships I've had and their duration. Also, it seems that my figure is a tad too petite and I lack a rounded chest, not that I don't have any—to me, I have the perfect size.

I believe I am cursed to love someone who believes that love is something that is not needed or finds it unnecessary. Oh, and I forgot how many times I have tried to change his mind, but I am brushed off as the regular girl that seeks love. I am actually considering on giving up on that front all together.

Well, I guess I'll have to leave these thoughts for later and concentrate on getting home after having stormed out of the restaurant with no plan whatsoever. I just wanted to get away from the place where Anders just had to do the deed while I sat like some idiot at our table, waiting for him to return.

Unlike the average girl, I am glad that Anders did not follow me. He and his family knew this before I found out, given the fact that I tend to blurt out many truths and secrets when my mouth is led by my anger. I am only thankful that this has not happened since I became a goddess, which is when my emotions have kind of become heightened with so much drama in one day.

I sigh, hugging my abdomen with both of my arms pitifully, wrapping my coat tighter around myself to ward off the chill of the night as I continue to walk along the sidewalk, passing couples, single people and groups of people having a fun night out. I merely dig my nose into the collar of my coat, keeping it from getting cold, since it's the first thing of my body that gets chilly.

"Linny?"

I look up from staring at the sidewalk with no intention of meeting anyone's face, but that is impossible when someone actually knows me. Hearing my nickname actually narrows down who it is that said my name, since my nickname is used by very few people. And it is no surprise that I find Ty standing at the front of some bar with his work clothes on and his bag that holds his tools is strung over one of his shoulders, so he must've been fixing someone's refrigerator.

I force a smile to come to my lips, coming up with a small one. "Hey."

His brows furrow, looking at me up and down, which he does whenever he is trying to figure out my mood and he always gets it right. "What happened?"

I sigh, knowing that I won't be able to hide anything from him. I mean, it's actually futile to hide something from your best friend, considering that he reads me easier than a book. "I had dinner with Anders," I say, mentally pleading him to understand with these few words, so that I do not have to tell him the whole story. "It didn't go quite as planned."

"What'd he do?" Ty asks, probably imagining many scenarios already about ho Anders might've upset me. It won't take him long, since Anders doesn't anger me so easily. "He slept with someone, didn't he?" I can only nod, trying to keep surprising tears at bay, which I don't understand why they're there, while my throat closes up. Ty sighs as he approaches me, engulfing me in his arms with his cheek on my temple and his arms around my upper back, while I place my head on his shoulder with my arms around his waist. We stay like that for some time as he rubs my back soothingly, dissipating my anger towards Anders. "Do you want to stay over at my place, have some ice cream like some schoolgirls, and watch some chick flicks?"

I chuckle at this, pulling away from his chilly body that my coat protected me from as I look up to meet his eyes. "That would be excellent, even if it is a tad depressing. I'll just give Grams a call later to tell her I won't be coming home."

"Great. Also, we deserve some depressing moments every once in a while," he says as he wraps an arm around my shoulder, nudging me to start walking as he probably leads me to his car. "I am the king of depression, aren't I?"

I chuckle as I lean my head on his shoulder. "Only when you're not in a state of depression; otherwise, you're a very passionate man and any lady would be lucky to have you."

"Yeah, well, 'any lady' appears to be in another continent," he sighs with tight lips and looking rather disappointed.

I manage to push myself up at the perfect moment to place my lips on his cheek for a second, leaving behind something to cheer him up, which it does as a golden light disappears from the area on his skin where my lips had been.

He laughs. "I love it when you do that," he says, smiling brightly. "Your power actually rivals my coldness. I will also be fascinated with how you are able to bring such happiness to a person with a single touch."

I shrug my shoulders, knowing that my powers are not actually that extraordinary. "Well, I will always be able to do that, but only to the people who want to be happy. I can't help those who do not even want to try."

"Oh, well," he sighs, hugging me close to his side. "Let's concentrate on pouring our guts out tonight and find some form of comfort and happiness in a big bowl of ice cream."

"You better have cake batter-flavored ice cream," I say, earning a chuckle from the vessel of Höðr and happy to put this night behind me.

* * *

I feel my brows furrow in annoyance at a distinct sound that slowly pulls me away from the blissful comfort that sleep is, causing me to groan into the pillow and hide my face in it. I plead the sounds to stop, only to have them grow in volume, to which I release something akin to a sigh and a groan from my mouth as I turn to rest on my back to snap my eyes open and stare at the ceiling in Ty's bedroom. The only joy I have in the moment is that it's a weekend, so no work for this young lady.

I sigh, looking around to find the empty bowl of the ice cream we ate yesterday sitting on one of his nightstands, the one that is closes to the side of the bed I slept on. I look down at myself, finding me still dressed in the clothes I wore yesterday, except for my shoes, coat and purse, which must be downstairs in Ty's living room. I huff at the feel of having slept in the clothes I wore the day before, disliking it and regretting not having asked Ty for one of his shirts and bottoms to sleep in.

I groan in annoyance, wishing to be able to sleep for a couple of minutes—five, maybe. I scrunch up my eyes closed as I try to will away the sound of voices arguing downstairs, but it only piques my interest, given the volume of the voices that are familiar to my ears. So I have no choice but to satisfy my curiosity and get out of bed to investigate what's the matter.

Once out of bed and standing on my feet, I stretch my arms upwards to snap the sore joints in my back and wake them up. I bend down and reach the toes of my feet with the tips of my fingers to also stretch my body in different ways. Through it all, I let out a mewl sound of satisfaction at my body waking up.

I make my way over to the stairs and descend them, only to have the voices stop their argument when they see me reaching the first floor. I look around and find Ty, already dressed and his face looking quite upset. I then look to the person he was arguing with, freezing on the spot when I see that it is Anders, looking rather sheepish while holding a bag in his hand, but that is not enough to have me go easy on him this time.

I rub my eyes vertically and try to brush my hair with my fingers, my eyes still on Ty and Anders. "What's going on?" I ask, not even sure if I should be asking for fear of what the answer might be. "One at a time, please," I say as they both open their mouths to answer. "It's too early for this."

"It's eleven o'clock, Linny," Ty says, and I stop brushing my hair with a bewildered look. I am surprised I slept for so long, but with how much work I covered yesterday I am not surprised with how tired I actually feel.

"What about breakfast?" I ask with a small pout in disappointment, needing to have my omelet, some pancakes or a mix of pancakes and scrambled eggs. I will also need of some coffee to go with my breakfast.

Anders chuckles as he raises the bag in his hand. "I've got you covered, Linny." He approaches me warily, probably waiting for me to snap at him like I did yesterday, which is not probably, since the anger left me the moment I placed delicious ice cream into my mouth. "An omelet of bacon with cheese, some toast and I have no coffee."

I hum as I take the bag from him, taking a whiff, which results in my mouth almost watering at the delicious scent. "The coffee will cost you some points," I say as I make my way over to the small dining table that Ty has near the kitchen. I sit on a chair and take out the plastic container in which the food is before looking to Anders. "I still expect coffee."

"Oh, right," Anders says as he shakes his head in realization before going into the kitchen to make me some coffee, while Ty sits on a chair next to me and rubs a hand over his face to try to hide the laughter that so clearly wants to erupt out of his mouth.

For years, Anders has learned not to challenge my temper whenever we do fight on the rare occasions that we do, since it only ends up worse for my opponent in so many ways. Anders, unlike others from his family, prefers to grovel at my feet, even when I don't require it, but those are his words. He never says it, but I know it's because he's afraid to screw up the only sane relationship he has ever had in his entire life.

"Why were you boys fighting?" I ask him, causing his laughter to die down in his throat and his face to sober up, becoming serious when his eyes meet mine, while Anders began on preparing the coffee.

"It started with him not taking no for an answer when I told him that it was not a good time," he begins to explain as I leave my food untouched and wait for the coffee, not able to eat without it. I look at Ty with an inquiring face, nodding at him to continue explaining. "He burst in, ready to call out for you, but we ended up arguing about last night."

"Ty, you know that I don't need others to fight my battles," I tell him calmly, smiling at him fondly. Anders keeps quiet, knowing better than to make snarky remarks or jokes. "I'm a big girl and I can handle Anders."

"I know," he says as he takes one of my hands in both of his, which sends a shiver up my arm, but I mask it with indifference on my face. He exhales heavily, patting my hand once. "I have to go. Some guy needs me to save his fridge." He stands up, gathering his keys and such to go to work before narrowing his eyes at me. "You'll be okay here?" This earns him an annoyed groan from Anders, but no words are heard from him.

"I'll be fine." I offer him a small smile that is not so forced, not like the one I gave him yesterday. "I'll lock the house after we leave."

"Thanks," he says before taking his leave, not bothering to say a goodbye to Anders, but the current situation doesn't let him to do so, since he's on my side in this.

I sigh as I wait for Anders to bring me my coffee, but I don't have to wait long, for my thoughts seem to have brought him to sit where Ty was and places my coffee next to my food. "Two spoons of sugar with milk, just how you like it," he says as I grab the plastic utensils that are in the bag and begin to eat, but not before enjoying the scent of coffee and breakfast mixed together. "Well, it's not your favorite, but I know it'll do."

"Oh, so now you know what I like and dislike?" I mockingly ask him, fixing him with a calm look, since my anger left me hours ago, so I am only upset, disappointed, and a tad sad. I hum when I drop the first bite of my food into my mouth, avoiding looking at Anders at all costs. "I only have the one rule, Anders."

"I know," he sighs, placing his arms on the table, and I feel his eyes burning me and seeking mine to meet his. I refuse, because I know that I'll forgive him the minute that my eyes meet his. "And I know that apologizing will not cut it."

"So you brought me food," I say before taking another bite of this delicious meal, not that I'll tell him anytime soon. I still refuse to look at him as I take sips from my coffee. My voice is still calm, which I know that it's making him nervous. "Nice start, but I am not forgiving you just yet." I huff. "One thing is to sleep with a girl every night, but to do it in my face. I deserve more respect than that, Anders."

"I know, and I'm sorry that did such a horrible thing to you of all people," he says and I see him move his hands to his lap, rubbing them together in his nervousness while tapping his heel repeatedly. "I'll do anything you ask of me, anything at all." He clears his throat, and I finally meet his eyes when I hear the slight desperation in his voice. I sigh when I see his eyes downcast. "I'll buy you a damn red velvet cake." I can't help but chuckle at this, since he _loathes_ red velvet cake, but endures it for my sake, which is actually sweet of him whenever he joins me. "I'll buy a whole new wardrobe or a new dog."

I frown at this. "What's wrong with Cookie?"

He makes a face and scrunches up his nose. "She's a bit clingy."

"Be happy that she likes you," I say. Cookie tends to be antisocial and hostile towards people outside of my family, and this is my fault for coddling her too much, but I wouldn't trade her for the world. I take the last bite of my omelet before looking at Anders. "Look, Anders, you know I don't need you to buy me stuff." He nods knowingly, but that is his first approach towards anything, but I tend to be the exception on more than one occasion. I drop my fork and turn to him fully. "I only ask that you treat me with the equal respect that I give you."

He smiles and takes my hands in his. "How is it that I have this damn ability to hurt _you_," he says, placing a hand on my cheek before stroking it with his thumb with his eyes firmly locked with mine, "the most significant person in my life." His actions only make my heart beat painfully fast, while my stomach churns pleasantly.

"It's just one of your perks," I say as I take his hand from my cheek and turn back to my food. "It's not going to be the last, so be lucky that I have the patience for any future disasters you may cause."

"I'll try to refrain from doing much," he says, chuckling before he becomes solemn. "I am sorry for what happened last night."

"You're forgiven," I say, my attention on enjoying the breakfast-slash-peace offering that Anders brought to me. "But make no mistake"—I raise the fork and point it at him threateningly—"I'll have no more screwing anywhere near me, am I understood?"

He nods and gives me a mock salute. "Scout's honor."

I raise an eyebrow at him pointedly. "You were never a scout."

"I could have been," he says, to which I roll my eyes at playfully.

I will never understand how this man can find such a simple way into my heart, but I do not regret it. I will always yearn for more with Anders, maybe a future together, but I find that I don't want to ruin what we have. At least not yet, and that is if he refuses my feelings because he doesn't have the same ones towards me. Still, that will not stop me from trying in the near future.

"There is also this thing," he begins, and I can't help but groan in annoyance. Not a minute since we've made amends and he already has some plan that wants me to be a part of. "You don't have to do anything, if you don't want to."

"What is it?" I resign myself to ask and continue to eat, preferring him to get to the point and not sugarcoat whatever he is going to say, or talk shit as Mike puts it.

"You remember last night about me having a plan?" he asks. I nod in answer, since I have food in my mouth. "Yeah, it's about Frigg."

* * *

"This is your plan?" I ask as I stand between Anders and Axl, all three of us staring at the costume of the mascot of the Northern Dragons, which is hung in a shower-slash-bathroom place, in which the players come to freshen up before and after a game. "This is what you meant when you said that this is where duty starts?"

Not long after Anders and I left Ty's, we began to get ready for the night to see if Axl could nail a girl and find out if she's the Frigg, I honestly do not believe this is the right way to do it, not that anyone listens to me when I give my opinion, except for Ty and Olaf. I mean, how can having sex tell you if she's a goddess or not?

And so, while Anders went to pick up Axl, he dropped me off at my house to be greeted by my Grams and Cookie, taking the few hours I had free to relax before I had to start getting ready for when Anders picked me up. And when the time to get ready rolled in, I too a shower and freshened up before getting dressed. I settled with wearing skinny jeans with brown booties with a sleeveless cami that is pleated and has ornate prints in the color of rust and tan. My brown locks I wore loose in waves with bangs framing my face and blue-green eyes. The only jewelry I settled for is the same necklace I wore for Axl's birthday. Lastly, I wear a black coat and the scarf that Anders gave me with my purse over my shoulder before I heard the honk of Anders' car, leaving a kiss on Grams' cheek and Cookie's snout before I left.

"I can't help but feel that this will end in disaster," I say, earning a hurt look from Anders.

"Have you no faith?" he asks me, and I decide to not answer the question as we return to stare at the freaky costume of what is supposed to be a green dragon.

"I am not dressing up in that," Axl says, the venom in his voice quite clear as he shows his disdain in his eyes that are glaring at the poor costume.

"What?" Anders says, turning to look up at Axl, confused by what Axl said. "You love dressing up. Remember that time you dressed up as a little smurf?" I laugh at this, remembering that night rather well, since I was the one who had to take Axl home, while the others were too smashed for me to endure them the whole ride.

"On a pub crawl," Axl snaps, defending his poor actions that almost ruined his image. "I was pissed."

"Yes, you were," I say, sighing at the disgusting memories of having to deal with a drunken Axl. "You puked all over my car and passed out on the couch at my house, only to puke all over Cookie, who was only a puppy."

"I apologized for that a million times," Axl says as he looks down at me, still feeling quite guilty by the look on his face. "I also cleaned the car and bathed Cookie, not that it helped with how she treats me."

"You asked for it," I say, dropping the subject.

"Yes, and this was after I went to get you out of the holding cell," Anders says as he tries to negotiate with Axl by throwing that at the younger's face. "You owe me."

"How is dressing like a dork meant to land me a netballer girl?" Axl asks, still hesitant about this whole thing, and I don't blame him for having his doubts with Anders' plan.

"The other mascot guy nailed half the team before he got run over by a bus," Anders says, baiting Axl with a lie or truth, I can't say I am sure which is correct.

I raise a disbelieving eyebrow at him. "No way."

"Seriously?" asks Axl.

Anders nods in all seriousness, which is enough to convince me that he is telling the truth. "Seriously." I hum in surprise. "Wing attack and wing defense on the same night on an away trip to Invercargill. Netballers dig mascots, Axl."

"How do you know these things?" I ask him, feeling rather impressed with how much information Anders can find on a person that is not on the headlines and is a regular person that is making his way in life.

"I have my ways," Anders tells me just as the mascot of the other team enters the room with his costume in hand. "All you have to do is be here." He pats Axl's arm before taking one of my hands in one of his as he begins to lead me out of the room that apparently is only for males, which I just found out. "I'll do the rest," he says loud enough for Axl to hear after we leave him on his own.

"Are you sure this will work?" I ask as I match Anders' strides, taking my hand out of his to grab onto his upper arm to keep up with him. "What if she's not the Frigg?"

We come to a stop on a nice secluded area where there is less heat, and I am thankful that I decided to leave my coat in the car, leaving me only with my scarf. "Stop worrying," Anders says into my ear with all the cheering and screaming going on, but it doesn't stop the shiver that goes up my spine.

And so, Anders and I resort to watch the game, which is no interest to us. Anders isn't one who likes many sports, while I can't sit still through one, which is why I have to say that I don't like sports, given the fact that I grow bored when it only begins. Still, it was a tad hilarious when Axl led the team out, but was tripped by the other mascot, which was a white bony that scared the crap out of me with the face that was designed for it.

The crowd on the bleachers cheered and screamed for their respective team, the majority cheering for the Northern Dragons. The sounds are actually quite disturbing and exhausting to hear. It amazes me how they have not bled out through their throats by how hard they are screaming. I also have not heard a coherent word escape anyone's mouth. This is not cheering, it's just noise.

Eternity passed before the game ended, leaving me aching with the amount of time that I had been standing. The only relief I got was when Anders and I left to get food and my legs were no longer numb with the stretching that walking provided.

The players of the Northern Dragons pass by us. I look at each one to try and find Karla, finding her quickly, but Anders is quicker to catch up to Karla, while I take my time approaching them to not bump into anyone.

"It's impossible not to watch your every move. You draw the eye," Anders says as he subtly flirts with Karla after having glanced at me warily. I shake my head while holding back a chuckle, knowing that he is afraid that I'll snap at him for even the smallest of flirtations towards another girl. "But you know that, don't you?"

Karla glances at both me and Anders. "You're the PR people, right?"

"We are," Anders says as he stands next to me with Karla in front of us, a bottle of water in her hands.

"You hear about the photo?" Karl asks us, thinking that we're here to scold her or something concerning the stunt she pulled by showing her bare chest for everyone to see. "I only did it for a dare."

I roll my eyes at this. "Even more degrading than I first thought."

"What was that?" Karla asks with a threatening frown, ready to mouth off at me, but Anders steps in the way.

"We don't care about the photo," he says and turns to me to shush me before I even manage to open my mouth as he turns back to Karla. "_And my friend does have a problem with you taking your clothes off, so don't do it with an audience that hasn't even hit puberty yet._" With Anders using his powers, Karla instantly falls under his spell and the insulted look that was on her face is gone before she walks away with a seductive smirk on her lips, to which I roll my eyes at.

"You didn't have to do that," I say as I stand in front of Anders, receiving a shrug in response.

"There's a lot I do or don't have to do, but this I had to do," he says, smiling at me. "I know that those pictures bothered you, especially with how careless she is about them, so this is a token of how much I appreciate you for being you."

I look over his shoulder and smile when Axl approaches us, him still in costume as Anders turns to also grin at his brother. I cannot help but chuckle at hos exasperate his movements are, being that I cannot see the look on his face.

"If that wanker bunny slaps me one more time, I'll punch his lights out," Axl growls through his costumes face, causing me to chuckle at his situation.

"It's just a bunny, Axl," I assure him, not wanting him to do something impulsive, since the bunny has been bothering him throughout the whole game with no break whatsoever.

"Relax, you did great," Anders assures his brother.

Then, the bunny comes over and begins slapping and taunting Axl, which is not a grand idea at the moment, since Axl is quite angry at the white thing that can't seem to sit still. Axl's shoulders slump in defeat before turning around towards the bunny and it comes to no surprise that a brawl ensues with me and Anders getting annoyed at this.

_Oh, what a fun night this will be,_ I think to myself as Anders goes over to help calm Axl as some guards hold him and the bunny away from one another. _Yep, a very fun night._

* * *

After things had settled down, the night progressed rather quickly. Anders made sure not to touch Karla more than necessary with me around and only helped Axl convince her to sleep with him. I found it hilarious how Anders walked around Karla as if he was walking on thin ice, which he wasn't, since I forgave him, but I can't say I am not enjoying myself with how careful Anders is being.

Anders had Axl seduce Karla, only intervening when he saw that Karla as not leaning towards having sex with Axl. In the end, some words from Anders and a nervous Axl were enough to have Karla eagerly pulling Axl with her towards the bedroom.

"You should really stop smoking," I say to Anders as we sit on his couch with drinks in our hands after having sent Axl with Karla into Anders' room. "It's not good for your lungs, and I hope you sterilize your room before we ever have another sleepover."

"Smoking isn't that bad," Anders says as he takes a sip from his drink, and I also take a small sip, but cringe at the taste, preferring wine over anything. "And trust that I will sterilize that room before I ever plan on sleeping in it."

"Good," I say, satisfied with his answer about his room, but further from it with his other answer. "I just want you to try, Anders."

"I have been smoking less," he points out, but I shake my head just as the doorbell rings. I turn to Anders, already knowing who that is as Anders stands up and goes to answer the door, whereas I try to disappear mentally. "Oh, look, it's the cavalry." I turn to see Mike, Ty and Olaf entering Ander's flat.

"I was tricked into all of this," I say with ease, knowing that with these words the doubt will settle and I won't be interrogated as heatedly as Anders.

"Where's Axl?" Mike asks as he looks around the living room and kitchen, while I place my glass on the coffee table in front of me after having decided that the taste is too awful for me to endure.

"I sent him on his way," Anders says as Olaf sits next to me with an arm flung over my shoulders. He then looks at his two brothers and grandfather with a most innocent look on his face. "Drink?"

Olaf nods. "Okay."

"Sure," Ty answers as we watch Mike and Anders begin to argue about how to deal with this whole Frigg thing, including about the whole life as a god, which is getting quite old. Through the argument, Anders fulfills his role as host by giving Olaf and Ty their drinks. "Here we go," Ty says as he takes a sip from his drink.

"Yep," I say, popping the last letter as we continue to hear Mike and Anders continue to argue.

"Axl's fine, Mike," Anders says with a shrug. "Axl's having the time of his life. In fact, in his own way, he's learning what it's like to be a god." I frown in my confusion when I hear a door slam shut. "And good on him, I say."

"She's dead!" Axl comes yelling into the living room, covering his privates with his hands as he stands naked in the room. "I think I killed her." He freezes with wide eyes when he sees the rest of his family with me and Anders.

I quickly stand up and rush over to the room with the others following behind me. I feel dread begin to fill my body at the prospect of seeing a very dead Karla in Anders' room. I enter the room to find Karl sprawled out on the bed with her eyes closed and her mouth slightly open. I approach the bed and sit to her right, covering her naked body with the blanket of the bed as Mike sits on the edge of the bed to Karla's left.

"She's breathing," Mike says after having taken a quick look at her. "Sort of."

"She will be all right, right?" Axl asks as he holds a cushion to his privates to cover himself, meaning that the cushion will also have to go with the bed sheets of the bed.

"What do we do?" I ask him, since I can't rely on the eggs that are standing near the door with frightened looks on their faces at probably seeing a body that might soon be a corpse. The response to my answer is a shrug from Mike, but I can't blame him for not being a doctor.

I honestly don't know how I can even help her. I refuse to try helping her with my powers in the state that she's in, which is unknown, and I don't plan on falling into a coma.

"Put your hands on her," I hear Anders say, and I look to him to find that he is actually telling Ty to put his hands on Karla.

"Oh, get off," Ty says with a look of disgust on his face as he stares at Anders.

"Seriously, Anders?" I ask, not believing that his idea is to have Ty place his hands on Karla, and idea I don't follow.

"No, no, no," says Anders, looking at me and Ty in disbelief at him not having said his words in a better way. "Cold hands, dick. Like the girl in the spa in Taupo."

I frown at this. "You guys went to a spa?" I ask and I am only met with eyes that resemble a deer looking at headlights, all except for Mike. By the looks on the faces of Olaf, Anders, Ty and Axl, I can tell that they actually went without me. "You went without me?" I have no answer, so I huff. "Unbelievable."

"You were sick, and it was a coupon for four," Anders says as he tries to justify his and his brothers' actions. "Besides, Mike didn't go; he was busy with ordinary life."

Mike groans as he rolls his eyes. "Can we concentrate on the dying girl, please?" I shake my head and nod to Mike as I turn back to Karla. Mike sighs before looking at Ty. "Do the hands thing."

Ty nods and leans close to Karla by the side of the bed that I am sitting on, while Mike stands up to stand next to Olaf and watch whatever might happen when Ty's hands makes contact with Karla's skin. Karla gasps before coughing the moment that Ty's hands touch her chest, her eyes looking sleepy or exhausted as she looks around the room.

A sigh of relief is heard from each one of us when we're sure that the girl is alive and not dead.

"Nice work, Iceman," Anders quips as Ty backs away from Karla to stand next to the bed.

I send a pointed look towards Anders. "Not now, Anders."

"Fuck's sake!" Karla gasps when she sees so many men in one room as she quickly wraps the sheet tighter around her body, looking warily at the Johnsons as I place a hand on her shoulder.

"No, no, no, no!" Axl quickly says to assure her that she is safe as they all raise their hands to tell her they are not approaching her and will keep their distance. "It's not like that!"

"It's all right," I tell her, causing her to turn to look at me, her eyes telling me she is quite scared at whatever is happening at the moment. I take a deep breath and exhale through my nose as a soft golden glow is seen from under the hand I have on her shoulder. I feel the warmth pass into Karl, and I see her beginning to calm down as her eyes lock with mine. "You're all right." I turn to the boys and give them a meaningful look. "You should go. I can handle this."

"You sure about that?" Anders asks and looks to be about to argue more against my words.

"Now!" I almost yell, but it's enough to cause them all to jump and quickly scurry out of the room to let me deal with Karla. I turn to Karla, smiling politely. "Let's get you dressed, call a friend to come pick you up and give you some pills to help you, okay?" She nods as she places the tips of her fingers to her temples, probably trying to will away the headache that is probably destroying her mind right now.

_Oh, how I pity her when she wakes up in the morning_, I think to myself with an amused smile on my lips, since I have been where she is, but my situations are due to getting pissed.

* * *

"Thanks for the ride," I tell Ty as he places his car in park. He had been kind enough to bring me home after having dealt with Karla and sent her on her way with a friend that had come to pick her up. I am only glad that this day is over and behind me. "I owe you dinner."

"As always," he says, smiling. He sighs, and I turn to him at the look he has on his face, to which I frown at worriedly. He sees my worried look. "You forgave him, didn't you?"

I release a sigh and nod. "I know it's not healthy, Ty, but I don't think that now is the right time to tell him."

"When is going to be the right time?" he asks, his voice a bit snappy, but it carries more frustration than anything else. "Years and years go by, but he seems to be quite dense when it comes to you and your feelings. This may be due to the fact that he always expects you to be honest with him, so he doesn't bother to be attentive to your emotions." He sighs, trying to control himself. "I just want you to be happy, and it kills me to see how neglectful and idiotic he can be."

"I know, Ty," I say, knowing that he is quite right with everything that he just said. "I just wanted to wait, at least until some of the heat with this thing with the Frigg dies down. Besides, I am not mentally prepared for acceptance or rejection."

"Yeah," Ty sighs, and I lean close to him with a smile on my lips before placing my lips on his cheek. "I'll see you later, Tiger." I get out of his car, waving at him as I begin to make my way towards the house.

"Night," he calls as I begin to open the front of door of my house, hearing Ty drive away just as I open the door to be greeted by the cutest thing in this house.

I chuckle as Cookie jumps up and down, whining in joy as she continues to move around in greeting with her tail wagging relentlessly. "Hey, girl," I coo at her as I close the door behind me. "You missed me?" She barks, confirming my question, so I kneel to stroke her fur. "I love you, cutie."

"Linnea," I hear Grams say, and I look up with a frown when she calls me by my full first name, since she rarely uses it. I see her standing in the kitchen in her nightgown with a phone in her hands.

I stand up and approach her. "What's wrong?"

"Your father," she says, and I can only stare at her, since I have not talked to him in years. I prefer not to even think about him for long, given the fact that he practically abandoned me.

"What about him?" I ask as I stand up, but still stroking Cookie's head.

"He called," she says, and I nod at her to continue. "He said he's coming to visit."

_Well, isn't that just the greatest news I have ever heard?_ I think with the sarcasm heavy in my mind.

* * *

**Wow, longest chapter yet, but those will be rare. i Just wanted to finish with Episode 2 of the Almighty Johnsons and leave the thing of Axl losing his virginity behind as he starts looking for the Frigg.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed and review, Fave or Follow. I also want to thank you guys for the amount of Faves and Follows, which I am greatly grateful for and honored to have.**

**I'll be updating soon, so keep a lookout! Bye!**


	8. Never Ask About the Zebras

**Hey guys, I am sorry for the long wait, but I have just recently returned from a family trip and just finished the other story I was writing, so I wanted to get that off my back to concentrate on this story, so I apologize for making you guys wait. I am also grateful that you guys stuck to this story, even though I don't deserve you guys!**

**Love you! And I can't wait for you guys to read what I have in store for this story. My trip enlightened me greatly!**

**Remember that I own nothing of the Almighty Johnsons, except for the obvious things****.**

* * *

**Never Ask About the Zebras**

* * *

Life can be easy and difficult, depending on its mood and whatever status a person has in their lives. If a person's life is sad, maddening or practically crawling on the ground, a miracle happens that lightens the spirit and has you thriving. But if a person's life is going great, fine or steady, then it is time to be drenched with ice cold water to wake you up and push you to fall on the ground, only to return to your feet and starting over again, which is quite exhausting. And yet, life does not give a crap about the status of your life is in, it will shove you or crush you when you least need or want it.

Well, I have learned to go along with whatever life throws at me. Even when I was born, I was shoved by life, leaving me with the burden of my mother's death and my father's absence, and it was all because of me. Not long after being born, my father left me in the care of my grandparents, visiting me every once in a while, but those short visits stopped when I turned sixteen and refused to see him anymore. I stopped pretending to be happy with a man that only saw me as the cause of his wife's death; it was too much for me to handle at such a young age, so I found myself giving up on my father and simply stopped pretending I was fine with him.

Still, I regret nothing nor wish that my life would have been different, except for wishing that my mother hadn't died when I was barely a few minutes old, but that is something I cannot imagine. It would be too painful to imagine every day, event or moment in my life that could have been happy and filled with nothing but unconditional love, so I push it all away and never venture with such thoughts, let alone toy around with them.

Nevertheless, I am only human; I can't help but let my imagination wander every now and then, which only prompts a very depressive mood.

"Monkey."

How I wish life would have been a tad different, but not all of us can get what we want.

"Linnea!"

I gasp in surprise as my eyes blink a few times before turning my head to where I was being called from with eyes wide in alert. So I find Grams arranging some flowers that are on one of the many shelves in the store as I watch over the front desk, overviewing orders and such that are to be delivered today. I can't help but feel guilty with being the one to place such concern in my Grams' eyes, so I offer her a smile to at least lighten her worries, which works a bit.

I sigh before returning my gaze to the papers. "I'm sorry, Grams," I tell her as I run my hands over my face to wake me up from my daydreaming. "I was only thinking too much for my own good."

"Is that so?" she asks as she comes over with a bouquet of lilies, placing them on the front desk, already wrapped in fine lavender paper with a white crochet ribbon holding them all together. She chuckles as she fusses over the arranging of the flowers. "I thought you were thinking about your father's visit tomorrow."

"Yeah." I chuckle nervously, avoiding meeting her eyes to not let her read mine and figure out my feelings in all of this. "I am just worried about how it will all go down, considering I haven't seen him since I was sixteen."

I promised her I'd try to be civil towards my father, I did, but that doesn't mean I have to like it, which is what she is truly aiming for. She may be my maternal grandmother, but she has told me one too many times how my father has been like a son to her, for she cherished the memories of my mother and father because of how happy they all were, which is rare amongst us gods and goddesses.

Grams doesn't speak much of such times, considering how fresh the wounds are to this day, but she does remind me that I am the only one who can even bring joy into my father's life, which I do not believe that it is correct. It is quite unnerving how she pushes me to try to fix my relationship with my father, not that she has to, since he isn't her real son, but I know not to deny her, for her temper is worse than all the Johnson's combined.

"I am thinking too much," I say, waving off her narrowed eyes as I go over to a shelf and begin arranging the flowers to a certain way that I like to show them all off to the customers. "I also know of my promise," I say before a word leaves her open mouth. "I will also try to like it, so stop reminding me as if I was a child."

I hear her snort, so I roll my eyes at whatever she is going to say. "Well, you're acting like one." I turn to her, feeling quite indignant and hurt that she is not taking my side. "Don't give me that look," she tells me as she goes to arrange some other flowers that we have on display at the shop's window. "He is your father."

"Yes, my father, who also abandoned me," I say, feeling my anger begin to surface at the memories of my father and his short visits. I feel tears begin to well up in my eyes as a lump grows in my throat.

For years, I yearned for that comforting embrace that only a father can offer. I looked to other girls with their fathers with nothing but envy and longing as I found myself without a parent to bring my spirits up. I had my grandparents, but it was not the same as having the bond that a child has with their parents, seeking their warmth and indescribable feeling that they make you feel deep within your soul when they wrap their arms around you. Still, I was dealt with a dead mother and a father who voluntarily left me to be cared for by my grandparents.

I swallow to be able to say my next words. "I know that my mom died because of me, but does he have to hate me so much?"

"No, sweetheart," Grams says as she comes over, wrapping her arms around my shoulders, stroking the back of my head as she hums a familiar tune. I shut my eyes tightly as I return her embrace, hiding my face in her shoulder, trying to calm down. "I know that it hurts to see him," she begins, pulling away from me, but keeps her hands on my shoulders. She smiles at me as she brushes the tears that are at the corners of my eyes away with her thumb. "But he is still your father." I sigh, closing my eyes. "And trust me when I say that you are the light of his life."

"I find that hard to believe," I say, refusing to meet her eyes.

Grams sighs as she tucks a stray brown lock behind my ear before cupping my face with both of her hands, the warmth within them calming me as her thumbs rub my cheeks. "Why don't you take the day off, hmm?" she asks, smiling with such sympathy that has you wanting for more. I begin to shake my head, but she holds my face tight and leaves me unable to say anything. "You will do as I say." A playful grin appears on her lips. "I am still the boss of this store."

I sigh, knowing that there is no point for me to argue with her, so I nod. "Fine."

"Good," she says, her hands retracting from my cheeks to take off my apron and ushers me to my office. "Go change and spend the day with Anders or Ty or Olaf." She grabs my shoulder tightly and turns me around to face her. "Maybe not with Olaf, I do not like his methods of trying to comfort or help people, considering he relies on his special medicines."

I nod, grinning and trying not to laugh, since my Grams greatly disapproves of Olaf's using of certain mushrooms and such things that once earned him a whack to the back of his head. "I promise I won't," I appease her, receiving a nod before she begins to usher me to leave the store once more, telling me that she will take care of everything today.

* * *

"I think Grams had the right idea, don't you think so, Cookie?" I ask my beloved companion as she walks a few steps ahead of me with her blue leash attached to her purple harness that offers her comfort and not strangle her like collars do. I obviously receive no answer from her as we continue to walk along the street with the beach to my right, enjoying the sunny day as much as I can. "This is quite relaxing, and I know you love these walks."

I take a deep breath and close my eyes, enjoying the wind against my skin as I grip tight to the handle of Cookie's leash, while the sound of crashing waves reaches my ears. With such fine weather, I am lucky that I decided to change my clothes when I picked up Cookie, leaving on my jeans. I traded my previous shirt for a white tee with varsity-stripped short-sleeves and an '18' graphic on the front. I traded my shoes for my blue sneakers that are better for long walks. I open my eyes and push away the loose strands of my hair out of my face, since they are loose and wild.

Cookie begins to bark and I look down at her, noticing how she stands at my side, but is staring right at something, so I follow her line of sight and smile with a shake of my head. I find the usual park we go to that she loves, considering it is practically her very own playground and it is the reason why I brought her favorite purple ball and blue Frisbee with me that I placed in my bag that I have strapped on my shoulder.

"All right, all right," I say, chuckling as I begin to walk towards the park and try to keep up with her eager steps as her perked ears twitch towards the park, while she crouches like all Border Collies do when they are zeroing in on something they are interested in. "Easy, girl." I chuckle as she pulls on her leash, urging me to cross the road, which she is wary of and waits for me to cross with her.

Once we make it to the park, I crouch next to Cookie after having made sure that the area is not too populated, considering how unpredictable Cookie can be around strangers. I smile as I watch her getting ready to dart off once I remove the leash on her harness. I chuckle as I grasp the leash, ready to release her when her body tenses. I squeal when I release her and watch her running a few feet away at top speed before turning around and crouching her front body, her eyes commanding me to throw the purple ball at her, given that when she wants the Frisbee she lays down on the ground near me.

"You're so lucky you're so cute and I made the mistake of letting you get away with almost everything," I complain as I reach into my bag to take her ball out. I toss it up into the air a few times, catching it every time to get Cookie's attention on the ball. Once her ears fall back, I pull back and throw the ball over to her, laughing when I see her jumping high into the air to catch it. She makes her way over to me while chewing on the old ball before dropping it at my feet and running off to put some distance between us once more. "Yep, very lucky," I mumble as I shake my head before reaching down to pick up the ball, my eyes on her as she bends her front once more.

I throw the ball once more and watch her catch it in her jaws when she leaps from the ground, almost twirling completely in the air. I smile, remembering the many photos I have of her in midair throughout the years. I can't help but smile as I remember the day that Grams gave her to me on one of my birthdays when she was only a month-old pup. Now, she is a beautiful three-year-old that has bright fur and glowing blue eyes that shine when the light of the sun falls down upon her.

"Good girl," I coo at her as I kneel down to receive her with her ball in her mouth and her ears back in submission for some affection. She drops the ball as she sits in front of me to let me stroke her, her tail wagging in content. "You're a very good girl."

"Linnea?"

My body completely freezes at the deep voice, feeling a lump develop within my throat when I can practically see the person in front of me when in fact the voice is behind me. I close my eyes as I bite down on my lower lip to calm myself and not let my mind take hold of my actions without me catching up to consent to them. I exhale heavily before opening my eyes to offer one last smile at Cookie. I reattach the leash on her harness and pick up her ball to place it in my bag before standing up and turning around to meet the gaze of the owner of the voice.

The man smiles a very small smile that is merely sad with a small hint of joy. "It really is you," he exhales. I stare at him, not letting any type of emotion appear on my face as I watch the dark-haired man in his early forties stand not five feet away from me. His eyes that similar to my own—except for how weary they look—are locked on mine. He huffs out a chuckle. "You've grown into a fine young woman."

I look the man up and down, taking in his appearance. His black hair is slicked back, but it looks natural, not like those men that practically douse the whole bottle of gel on their hair. He also has the very beginning of stubble on his chin and cheeks, leading up to the sides of his head where it meets his hair. He wore a grey shirt with a black leather jacket over it with dark jeans and black shoes, looking rather casual and not the lawyer that he is. Still, his most mesmerizing feature is not his muscular body or how he is six feet tall. His blue eyes are what draw you in without even noticing, but that doesn't work on me anymore.

Remembering Grams, I force a smile on my lips that doesn't reach my eyes, which he notices. "Hey, Dad." I clear my throat and bite my tongue, reminding myself to keep my temper and opinions to myself. "It's been a while."

"Yeah," he sighs, clearing his own throat as he looks around the park to avoid meeting my eyes, which would make this meeting even more uncomfortable. "It's been a couple of years." His eyes finally meet mine, which are half the color that is his and half the color of my mother's—or so Grams said. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine." I nod as Cookie comes to sit at my feet, nudging my thigh with her nose to tell me to stroke her head, which I do, but I keep my eyes on my father. "I help Grams with the shop and I also work with Anders."

He hums in acknowledgement, the look on his face quite uneasy at the mention of Anders. "He is the Johnson with Bragi, no?"

"Yeah," I say with a bit of uncertainty at the tone of his voice, which causes me to grow protective of Anders and his family, considering they have been more of a family than the man that is standing in front of me, who is actually my father by blood. "Is there a problem with that?"

"No," he says quickly with a small shake of his head and hand raised so as to calm my thoughts. "I just didn't think you kept in touch with them, I didn't mean any offense." He said this with a small shrug of his shoulders, and I know he is telling the truth. If there is one thing that is good about my father is the fact that he never lies, but that can be due to the Norse god that inhabits his body. "Also, I just thought you'd never want to be anywhere near a god and would have looked for goddesses instead."

"Yeah, goddesses aren't quite appealing," I say as I put the leash back on Cookie's collar before storing her ball in my bag. "Besides, they are too complicated and are never satisfied with what they have."

"Not that gods are any different," he quips, causing me to smile knowingly, but I erase it after a couple of seconds, not wanting him to know that things are fine between the two of you.

An uncomfortable silence falls on us as we merely stand a few feet in front of one another, looking at our surroundings. Well, it is uncomfortable, but at the same time we can endure it without so much tension, since we haven't released it. And I am in no hurry to pour my guts out to this man. I only want to relax and try to diffuse as much tension that is between us as I can. I don't want to regret never trying to mend my relationship with my father, should anything happens to either of us.

The silence is broken when he clears his throat. "Are you busy right now?"

I am tempted to come up with some sort of excuse to not be available at the moment. I am even close to pretend that my phone vibrated and I subtly call either Anders or Ty to escape from this, but that would go against my previous thoughts about wanting to mend my relationship with my father, so I have no choice in the matter.

"Sure," I answer, offering him a small smile.

"Are you sure?" he asks, probably having noticed the conflict I had in my head when I hesitated in my answer. "I do not want to impose or anything."

"No," I say as I approach him with Cookie wagging her tail next to me. "I have time."

I cannot help but feel elated at the smile that graces his lips at my answer and want to join him for the day. "Lunch sound good?"

"Lead the way," I say as I motion for him to lead with a jerk of my head. "But the place has to be outside or pet friendly."

"Fine by me," he says as we begin to walk out of the park and to wherever my father has in mind to get lunch. My only worry is that I do not regret accompanying him and that this is the right thing to do.

* * *

"I don't understand," I say as I rub my temple in frustration after having heard Axl explain that he supposedly found the Frigg in some library, but he is not sure, even though she said she was the Frigg. "Can you run it by me again?" I ask, frustrated with all of this after having had my lunch with my father interrupted by a call from a frantic Axl calling me to meet him at Ty's, and it is also not fun when I had to walk all the way from the park to Ty's. "I really don't think any of this makes any sense."

I smile when I notice Cookie leaving the small bowl of water that Ty placed for her when we arrived, finally having had her fill of refreshment before making a bee line for Ty's couch. She practically drops dead on the couch and will probably be fast asleep in mere seconds.

"Okay, so Frigg gave you her card?" Mike asks as all of us—except for Ty, who is sitting at his dining table—are on our feet in the living room with refrigerators surrounding us.

"My library card," Axl corrects Mike, but it only adds to our confusion. "You know, because she's a librarian."

"But you said she's the Frigg," I say as I lean back against the side of a refrigerator with Anders also leaning on it but on his side. "You said that you talked to her about god stuff?"

"Yes," Axl answers uncertainly, looking more confused now about his whole encounter with this supposed Frigg that he met at the library. He shakes his head as more thoughts jumbled in his head. "I think we did."

"How much did you actually tell her?" Ty asks his younger brother from his seat on one of the chairs at his dining table, looking up at the tallest of the Johnson brothers.

Axl's brows furrow in confusion. "How do you mean?"

"Involving mortals in god business," Mike clarifies Ty's question for Axl, "it's a big no-no."

"You can't just go talking to people about being a god without making sure they are actually talking about them also being a god, Axl," I scold him lightly with no condescending tone so as to not put more pressure on him. "Did she say she is an _actual_ goddess, the real deal?"

"I don't know, I got confused," Axl says, freaking out a little at having so many questions to answer that he is not sure how to answer. "What if she's not mortal?" He turns to look at Olaf for guidance, not that Olaf can be of much help at the moment. "Is that possible?"

"As possible as anything is possible," Olaf answers, being a tad accurate but confusing at the same time, which is why I try to not seek Olaf for when I have question that need answering, given that his answers will only confuse me even more.

"But 'Hi, I'm Frigg,' and then she buggers off to a staff meeting," says Axl.

"Maybe it was an important staff meeting," says Olaf.

"You do know that are not possibly the center of her world," I say, trying to shed some light into the conversation.

Axl's eyes shift from mine to Olaf's. "But that's not how it's meant to happen."

"Linnea is onto something, so why can it not be an important staff meeting?" Olaf asks with a shrug, to which I smile in triumph at being right.

"Because it's a quest, that's why," Axl says, as if the quest would be that easy and known by every god and goddess in the world. "It should be more…quest-y."

"Give me a sword, a lion and a forest, and I will turn your life into Hercules' if you want it to be more quest-y," I say with a playful smile on my lips, earning a halfhearted glare from Axl and snickers from Anders and Ty. "All I am missing is the damsel at the end of it, but that is all you."

"Look, it's a quest for you," Olaf says. "It may not be a quest to her. Maybe to her, meeting a god is as natural as meeting a new zebra."

"Oh, no," I sigh, remembering that one time I spoke to Olaf about drawing the attention of many men after my twenty-first birthday. "Please tell me you did not tell him about the zebras."

"What have zebras got to do with it?" Mike asks with a confused look on his face from where he is leaning on a smaller refrigerator.

"Trust me, don't go there," Ty says, and I meet his eyes, which tell me he was foolish enough to ask Olaf about the zebras.

I turn to Mike. "It's best to never ask about the zebras."

"How did you feel when she said that she was Frigg?" Olaf asks Axl.

Axl looks at Olaf with a blank look on his face. "Weird, I suppose."

"Do you want to jump her?" Anders asks, causing me to groan at his words always having to do with sex or anything and everything related to it.

I turn my head to give him an admonishing look. "Seriously?"

"It always comes back to sex with you, doesn't it?" Ty asks Anders, also quite annoyed with Anders always managing to think about sex in any situation.

"It's a fair question!" Anders defends himself as his eyes go from Ty to mine and back before they settle on Axl.

"What am I meant to feel?" Axl asks Olaf, and I do not blame him for ignoring the bickering of the rest of us.

"Only you know the answer to that," says Olaf.

I hum. "He wouldn't be asking you if he did know, Olaf."

"Linny's right, Olaf," says Axl, "because I don't know."

Olaf looks to me, "Yes, he does." He turns to Axl. "Yes, you do."

"No," says Axl.

"Yes," says Olaf, while Anders, Mike and I sigh in frustration at the banter between grandfather and grandson.

"No," Axl says one more.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, can we just go and check out this chick?" Anders suggests, wanting to stop Axl and Olaf before they drove us nuts.

"Okay, for once I agree with him," Mike says, and we are off to the library to stalk a poor girl that probably has no idea what is going on.

I go over to Cookie, petting her head. "I'll be back soon," I tell her before turning around to follow the Johnsons.

* * *

In all of my life, I have never been with men that have been so obvious in my life. I mean, when you are stalking someone, you have to be subtle and not draw attention to yourself. There is also the good idea to separate and have different angles on the girl to have a better read on her, but that is not the case when you are collecting intel with a Johnson—or Johnsons, for that matter.

"This is not keeping a low profile," I whisper to the boys once more form where I am sitting at a table with Ty next to me.

Anders, Mike and Olaf are on their feet, seemingly reading their books, while Axl hides behind the bookshelf that Anders is leaning on. Each of us have a book in our hands, pretending to read it, but at least my eyes are on my book but looking at the girl from the corner of my eyes, unlike the Johnsons, who are openly staring at the girl.

"You do know this is stalking," I whisper for any of them to hear.

"We're not stalking," argues Anders.

I snort. "Are we pursuing someone who is potentially someone we are not sure that she is?"

"Maybe," Anders says, his tone of voice telling me he is accepting defeat.

"This is stalking," I say.

I take a look at the young girl once more. She looks to be near my height with brown locks that fall on her back in small waves. She is wearing a cute outfit that fits her perfectly, but not too modest that does not draw the eye, even with her glasses on. Still, nothing about her tells me that she is a goddess. I can't even get a small vibe that tells me she is a potential goddess, which is why I have argued that this is a waste of time.

"I'm getting nothing," Anders whispers.

I roll my eyes. "That is what I have been saying for the past half-hour."

"I like her," Olaf says, to which I smile as I lean my head on the palm of my hand.

"You'd go there?" I hear Anders ask from behind me, and this makes me roll my eyes at him, not denying that this is jealousy brewing from within me.

"Sure, in my younger days," whispers Olaf in return.

"Why is it always about sex?" asks Ty.

"Because they have nothing to aspire for when in an intimate relationship," I say, earning a chuckle from Ty. "They are too emotionally constipated to even try."

"So speaks Mr. Frigid and Miss Chastity," Anders remarks.

"Up yours," Ty and I say simultaneously.

"Hey," Mike scolds us lightly to not draw attention to ourselves, and we fall silent in return as we watch the girl continue with her work. "It's your call, Axl."

The girl turns her head to us, but we avert our gaze before she notices something weird, while Axl continues to hide from her line of sight. I'd be amazed if the girl is not aware of us observing her so openly, considering how pathetic we are at stalking someone.

"I don't know," Axl whispers. "I liked it when she smiled at me."

"That's a very small star, Axl," I say.

"Give her one, see what happens," says Anders, and this remark causes me to giggle.

"You're such a barbarian," Ty says admonishingly, but his phone begins to ring before he could say anything else, causing his brothers and Olaf to scatter, while I completely ignored him.

"Way to keep a low profile, Ty," Anders says before he buggers off to another corner of the library to not give away he was with Ty.

I snicker as I watch Ty reach for his phone in a haste while standing up to leave the library and not interrupt anyone. The smile that appears on his face when he sees the caller ID has me frowning in curiosity as to who it might have been that called him. His leaving prevents me from asking him anything as he answers the phone.

The hair on the back of my neck bristles in anticipation at the familiar feeling that completely fills me up when my eyes fall on a blonde girl with pixie cut hair that is rather short and is giving her attention to the copy machines. I frown as I stand up with my eyes trained on the young woman. I leave the book I was pretending to read on the table to approach the girl to satisfy my curiosity.

"Hey," Anders whispers as he places a hand on my shoulder and stands in front of me with eyes filled with concern. "You all right?"

"I—" I begin to say as I look at him, but turn my attention to where the girl was, but am surprised to find her gone with a frown on my features. Anders follows my line of sight, but turns his attention back to me when he finds nothing wrong. "No," I say as I look around for the girl. "I just thought I saw someone familiar."

"Okay, Miss Weird," he says as he drapes an arm around my shoulders and leads me out of the library. "Time to go."

I walk out of the library with Anders, but I cannot help but feel that these weird vibes I've been getting whenever there is a certain someone near are not something to ignore. I do not want to think that this is just a coincidence, considering the life I am leading as a goddess.

* * *

**That is the end of this chapter, which I hope you guys enjoyed! I can't wait to give you guys the rest of this story, and I swear that I will see it through, so don't worry about me abandoning it. I merely went on a trip with the family and forgot the laptop, so I apologize once more.**

**I hope you guys review me your thoughts, so that I can hear your raging thoughts about my story. You can also Fave or Follow, and you can PM whatever you want, so do not hold back.**

**I will see you guys at the next chapter.**


	9. Forces at Work

**Hey, guys! I am now 100% concentrating on this story and have a few chapters done by now, so expect faster updates for this story. I was seriously wanting to finish my other story, which I have to write its next installment soon, so I am quite divided between these two stories, and I have others that I am itching to publish.**

**I am also grateful and happy with how supportive you've all been, especially how patient you've all been with me. I am just happy, and i thank you guys for this, since you are the reason why I continue to write, apart from my love for all of my stories that I try to do them justice.**

**Remember that I own nothing belonging to The Almighty Johnsons, except for the obvious things here and there.**

**I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

**Forces at Work**

* * *

"That was productive," I say and make sure that they can hear the sarcasm in my voice from my position on my and Anders' chair in our office with Anders, Mike, Olaf and Axl in front of me with pensive looks on their faces. Ty is absent for some unknown reason that I will be sure to know about soon enough. "What is even better is how impossibly easy it is for us to know that she is the Frigg," I say with sarcasm once more, earning a roll of eyes from Mike and Axl, not that I care.

"It seems simple to me," Anders begins from where he is leaning on the desk in front of me.

"It's always simple to you," I remark under my breath, but the look he shoots me over his shoulder tells me heard me.

Anders continues to stare at me with narrowed eyes. "You're rather cranky today."

"I prefer not to talk about it at the moment, Anders," I say, giving him a warning look that is enough sign for him to drop the subject.

"You do know I will find out eventually, right?" says Anders, but I merely shrug as I pretend to ignore him.

The last thing I need is for any of them to find out that my father is in town. Mike and Anders will most surely want to run him out of town, considering they were the only ones old enough to remember him and the only ones to have met him, apart from Olaf and Ty, who have no ill towards my father, so that's a plus.

"Yeah, no," I say, and Anders nods in defeat, for now.

He then turns to Axl. "Do the business, a sign will follow."

"What if I do and she isn't, and the sign is I kill her?" Axl counters as he stares down at Anders with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Don't flatter yourself, Axl," Anders says, and I can see that he is quite put out with Axl considering himself too good in bed to ever sleep with another girl, not wanting to say that he is actually jealous over the possibility of Axl being better than him in bed.

"Axl, you can't live in fear that you will kill whatever girl you sleep with," I say as I twirl around on the chair in my boredom and exhaustion, but also trying to help Axl and his dilemma with never wanting to sleep with any other girl until he finds the Frigg. "You will drive yourself insane, if you do."

"I'm sure it was a one-time thing," says Anders.

"How exactly are you sure?" Mike asks Anders from his spot next to Olaf, not believing that Anders' words are accurate and are only him talking nonsense, which might be true, considering the amount of words that come out of Anders' mouth as nothing more than words with no meaning behind it.

"Okay, I'm not sure," Anders admits, as he always does when someone calls him out on his poor excuse for an explanation. "But he can't stop trying because one woman flakes out on him. I mean, maybe it was a good thing. Have we thought about that?"

I know I will regret asking, but I cannot help but be curious about whatever Anders will say. "How do you mean?"

"I mean that maybe he gave her the best orgasm of her life," Anders says as he turns from Mike to Axl.

"I shouldn't have asked," I say as Mike gives me a look that says that I really shouldn't have asked.

"An orgasm so good, her body couldn't deal with it," Anders continues, and I am not surprised to find that Axl is hanging on to every word that Anders is saying, probably getting over his fear of sleeping with another girl with the possibility of actually being a god in bed.

"Or maybe she was too drugged and out of her wits to even notice her surroundings," I say, not believing that the reason why Karla had passed out was because of Axl being too intense in bed, considering it was his first time and she was way past the limit of being high and drunk with Anders using Bragi on her.

"Olaf, if you've got anything to add to this discussion, now would be a really good time," Mike says as we all turn our attention to Olaf.

"Anders is right," says Olaf.

"What?" I ask in astonishment as Anders whispers a 'yes' in victory with a raised fist.

"And also wrong," Olaf adds, causing Anders' shoulders to slump in defeat.

"Ha!" I say in triumph, earning a playful glare from Anders. "You being right would mean a great catastrophe on some poor city somewhere in the world," I tell him.

"You being right would mean the end of the world," he retorts, to which I stick my tongue out at him.

"Grandpa," Mike sighs. "Clarity."

"I was thinking about the two goddesses I've made love to in my life," Olaf says, his words creating a frown on my face with no want to hear where this is going.

"This is going to be interesting," I murmur as I place my arms on the desk that Anders and I share, eager to know what Olaf will say that will confuse us further, scar us, or make sense in some twisted way.

"One I met in a field, the other a hat shop," Olaf continues with his explanation as we all remain silent. "So why not a library? And yes, the physical act of making love to them, even the cold-hearted bitch who was your grandmother, was way more remarkable than any mortal woman."

Anders turns around with a flirty smirk on his face as he faces me. "When we getting it on?"

"Shut up," I say as I chuckle before throwing a pen at his chest to try to keep any red tint from reaching my cheeks. "You can't handle this." I motion to my body with a small flick of my wrist, which has him wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"But there's way more to taming and marrying a goddess than simply sex," Olaf says before he grins at me. "I pity the man that tries to reel you in."

I smirk. "I'd like to see him try."

"Yo, backing up here," says Axl, his voice nervous as he straightens up. "What's this marrying shit?"

"Goddesses are tricky," Olaf supplies with a raised hand to punctuate his words. "There's always a catch when you bag a goddess. With your grandma it was pain and suffering. Seeing as Frigg's the goddess of marriage—"

"Whoa, whoa!" Axl interrupts Olaf, and I can see that he is beginning to freak out even more at the continuing mention of marriage. "Frigg's the goddess of marriage?"

"Did you not read any of those books you got out of the library?" Anders says wittily.

"One of them," Axl says in his defense.

"Did you not study Norse mythology?" I ask Axl, surprised that he did not know that every god in any type of mythology centers around one aspect of human life to explain it.

"You know that I am not one to aspire in ancient mythologies and all that jazz," says Axl, so I sigh, wondering how he cannot be interested in such things as mythologies.

"Besides, I read about giants and swords, not marriage," Axl says as he grows more nervous with the idea of having to marry Frigg when he finally does find her.

"Frigg is the goddess of marriage, Axl," Mike says with a click of his tongue while bobbing his head.

"So you'd have to imagine she'd be pretty keen on it," says Olaf.

"It's all in her name," I add, not helping with calming down Axl.

Suddenly, silence falls in the room, which makes this whole exchange uncomfortable for all of us. Mike seems to be in deep thought, or pretending to be as he stares at the floor, while Olaf grins and nods as he looks about the office. Anders merely places his hands in the pockets of his jacket and seems to be quite comfortable. Meanwhile, Axl is frozen over in shock with a whole wedding already taking place in his mind and thinking about how he is too young for this, which is correct. He _is_ too young, especially to be thrusted into this whole thing with the lives of his family on his shoulders.

"Okay," I say, breaking the silence and causing Mike, Olaf and Axl to jump at the suddenness of my voice. "I'm gonna take off." I get up and gather my things before looking at Mike, making sure to avoid meeting Anders' eyes. "Mind giving me a lift and pick up Cookie on the way?"

"Sure," Mike says with a raised eyebrow as he glances at Anders.

"You aren't getting off the interrogation that easily," Anders says as I make my way out of the office, ignoring him completely.

"Yes, well, keep dreaming," I say as I stand outside, taking in the sunny day with a cool breeze.

I walk over to Mike's car, walking over to the passenger side of the vehicle as I watch Mike and Olaf walk towards the car as I put my seatbelt on, ready to leave and rest after such an eventful day with little progress on the Frigg section. Mike climbs into the driver's seat, while Olaf stretches out in the backseat.

"So," Mike begins as he shuts the door once he makes himself comfortable on his seat, and I can see Olaf is in his own world through the rearview mirror. "Are you going to tell me what has you so distracted and jumpy?"

Mike has his body turned to me as best he can, and I can't avoid his eyes. "Promise you won't tell anyone yet," I sigh, knowing that I am cornered in the car, considering he is my only lift, since Anders would annoyingly prod me for an answer.

"I promise," he says, nodding as he places the key in and shifts it to start the car. And we hear it rumble into life before the cold breeze of the air conditioner hits our faces. I raise an eyebrow at him, expecting something else. He notices, to which he sighs before placing an open palm over the area where his heart is. "And hope to die."

"Good." I nod as I begin to fumble with the hem of my shirt, nervous about telling him that my father is back in town, so I decide to just get it over with. "My dad's in town."

"What?" Mike asks with his eyebrows raised in surprise, while Olaf chuckles before leaning over the middle to be able to be near me and Mike.

"So Forseti has returned," Olaf says, chuckling as he shakes his head. "The great god of justice has finally graced us with his appearance after so long." Olaf sighs, looking pensive before he turns to look at me with furrowed brows. "I would like to meet up with him and discuss the whole thing about Odin's return."

"I don't know," I say, shrugging.

"Did you see him?" Mike asks me.

I nod. "I bumped into him this morning when I took Cookie out for a walk and then went over to Ty's when Axl called," I explain. "We talked for a bit."

"Did you yell?" Mike asks me with a look on his face that tells me he remembers the last time my father visited quite clearly, which results in me giving him a pointed look.

I huff. "I managed to control myself, Mike, thank you very much."

"Did he mention what he wanted?" Mike asks with a suspicious eyebrow raised.

"Mike," I sigh, knowing where he is going with this. And I can't blame him with all the things that come his and his family's way. "He is not here for some gain that he can only get through me. I actually think he wants to try and fix things between us."

"I believe him," says Olaf.

Mike raises an eyebrow at his grandfather, turning a bit to glance at him over his shoulder. "You do?"

"Yes," says Olaf as he adjusts himself to be more comfortable. "The thing about Forseti is that he cannot just lie like everyone else. It's part of his powers as the lawyer of the gods. He is the only god that is truly just."

"I know he's messed up in the past, Mike," I begin, knowing his hesitancy to believe my father is stemming from his protective side of acting as my very own older brother, not I mind, for I appreciate this. "But, unlike you, I have no siblings and only _two_ family members that share my blood." I sigh, leaning back against my seat. "I just want some normalcy in this life of gods that we lead."

"If you say so," Mike says, clearly not convinced by anything I've told him.

I chuckle and reach over to grasp his hand in mine. "I appreciate the older brother treatment, Mike." He glances at me, offering me a smile, which is something rare when it comes to him. "I am also happy to be part of this family, too."

"Me, too," he sighs, placing his other hand on top of mine.

"Aw," Olaf says, his chin propped by his hand as he shifts his eyes from me to Mike and back. "Family moment and I am actually a part of it."

Mike snorts as we retrieve our hands before he begins to pull out of the parking that is near Anders' office. "You're all about family, aren't you, Olaf?"

"As always," says Olaf.

"We have to pick up Cookie at Ty's," I remark, to which Mike groans.

"Really?" Mike says, disliking the idea of Cookie in his car. "I just cleaned the interior of the car."

"And yet you let Olaf in," I argue, earning a nod from Mike and an indignant exclaim from Olaf, to which I laugh.

Looking between Mike and Olaf, I am grateful for having them in my life, filling in the male roles in my life that I needed to guide me. I may have been unlucky to have lost almost everyone in my life, but I am too happy with the family that I earned in the end. And I can't complain about that.

* * *

"Grams, I'm home!" I yell after I have stepped through the front door, shut the front door behind me and gave Cookie a good dosage of coddling, still seeing her quite energetic and happy that we are home, if her wagging tail is anything to go by.

"In the living room, Monkey," Grams calls back.

"And guess what, not that you did not probably see it," I say, chuckling to myself at the probability of her power to have given her a vision of today's happenings. I did not wait for her to answer as I walk over to the kitchen counter to drop my bag and keys on top of it. "There is a possible candidate for Frigg." I now turn to the living room, freezing on the spot when I see my father sitting on the couch while having his head turned to meet my gaze, and Grams sitting on her reclining sofa, which she adores. "Dad."

"Hello, Linnea." He has a frown on his face, so I know that he is not pleased with something that I said, not that he can do anything about anything in my life without reason or logic. "What do you mean about a possible candidate for the Frigg?"

I manage to see Grams' eyes dart between me and my Father, her eyes portraying cautiousness and calmness. I know that Grams wants me and my Father to try and be civil, at the least. And this is the only reason why I bite my tongue to hold back any sassy retort that my tongue might have conjured up in response to my Father's question, while also not letting my thoughts begin to form ideas about my Father wanting to criticize me or anything in simple words that have a hidden meaning, but the perks of my Father's power is the fact that he cannot lie so easily.

"Exactly what I said," I say, growing a bit defensive at the authority in his tone of voice.

My father's brows furrowed with his mouth open in confusion. "There would have to be an Odin incarnate to have reason to be looking for a Frigg," he says, but he quickly realizes this when both Grams and I remain silent at his statement. "So after so long, Odin finally comes forth once more to look for his beloved." He leans back against the couch, taking his glass of wine with him.

"Yeah, we're looking for her," I inform him as I walk over to the fridge.

"_We_?" I hear my father ask as I grab a bottle of water and close the fridge's door before turning my attention to him.

"Yeah," I say as I begin to take the tap off the bottle. "I am helping the Johnsons. Axl Johnson, the youngest, is actually Odin." I click my tongue with a nod of my head. "Well, I help them by keeping them alive from themselves."

"And it is no easy fit," says Grams with a raised eyebrow.

"I forgot the boy's birthday, and I was there when he was born," he says, a thoughtful look on his face. I see my father hunch over as he releases a sigh, swirling the wine in the glass. "Many things can go wrong in this quest," he begins, and Grams glances at me with a knowing look on her face. My father looks to Grams. "You and I both know the dangers of this quest and the many threats that are out there to gods like us."

"And I will keep her safe," says Grams as Cookie goes over to her and places her head on the armrest of her chair to be stroked by Grams. "I will not let any harm come to my family."

My brows furrow at this in confusion, forgetting that I have a full water bottle in my hands. "What do you mean?" I receive no answer from him, so turn my attention to Grams, who avoids my eyes. "What does he mean, Grams?"

"I mean," Dad says as he stands up, downing his wine in one gulp before placing it on the coffee table, "that are many forces out there that will place danger on those who form part of this quest." He begins to walk towards me, his eyes serious but holding a gentle glint in them. "The threat may come from other gods or goddesses, some who have stronger abilities than others. There are also mortals who believe in our existence, which also poses a threat to us, so I urge you and the Johnsons to be careful." He sighs as he reaches up and places a hand on my elbow, his eyes soft. "I have no right to give you advice or to pretend that I have a place in your life, but I need you to be careful. Tell the Johnsons to trust no god or goddess out there; there are many that benefit from the reunification between Odin and Frigg."

I nod, not able to keep my eyes locked with his for more than a few seconds. "Thanks."

"Gods only ruin lives, Linnea," he says, his hand falling from my elbow. I eye him with furrowed brows, knowing that he is speaking more about himself than of any other god, it is quite clear by the look on his face. "I am an excellent example of that." I open my mouth to give protest, but I am unable to say anything as he leans closer to place a chaste kiss on my forehead. "I love you, Linnea," he whispers as he pulls back to insect my face, probably to take a mental photograph of my appearance. "I am still in town for a while longer, so do not hesitate to ask me for anything you may need."

"I will." I nod, managing a small but honest smile that is just for him, and I cannot help but notice the smile that now decorates Grams' face out of the corner of my eye. "We can grab lunch or dinner before you have to leave."

He nods while releasing a sigh that I notice it was one of relief. "See you soon, sweetheart."

And with that, he was out of the door. I cannot help but feel elated or relieved, as if a great weight has been lifted off of my whole body. I find it hard to believe that the thing that I have been dreading is actually not that bad. Things are not rainbows and unicorns, but I can see myself fixing things with my father, if it is to be able to spend holidays together and be an actual family to one another, considering we both lost a common person that we both still love unconditionally.

"I told you that it would be worth it," Grams' voice says, bringing me out of my mind and into the present. I look to her and huff playfully at the grin on her lips. "You only need to listen to your sweet grandmother, and things will always get better."

"Yeah, I think you're just loving the feeling of having been right," I say as I walk over to the couch, sitting where my Dad had been sitting. Cookie comes over to me and lies down on the couch next to me.

Grams shrugs her shoulders innocently as I turn on the television. "Maybe."

For once, a visit from my Dad did not end up with awkward conversations with pregnant pauses or with shouting matches that were coming more from my side than his. For once, I decided to want to make things work between me and him. For once, I thought about what I would like for my father to be in my life, instead of seeing him as the villain in the story. And all I want is for this that we started to work.

* * *

"Seriously, Ty," I begin as shivers go through my skin as I enter his special corner, where he makes his ice sculptures with Mike and Olaf following behind me, equally feeling the cold that surrounds every inch of the room. Mike and I stand at one side of the room with Ty and Olaf on the other side of the sculpture, Olaf's hands stuffed in the comforts of the pockets of his jacket. "You may be made of ice, but you can enjoy the sun every now and then. I also find hard the reason why I have to be here, isn't enough with Mike and Olaf to help you through this love spell?"

"You're my best friend, it's your duty to be here," Ty says as he continues to work on the sculpture of ice that is taking the shape of an angel. He then glances at Mike, who zips up his jacket, and at Olaf. "And thank you for coming."

I groan as I button up my brown coat and stuff my hands in its pockets to keep them warm. "I don't remember signing a contract."

"I agree with Linny," Mike says as he pulls up the collar of his jacket before burying his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "Is it necessary to talk in here?" He nods to the now closed door, motioning to Ty's _warm_ apartment. "Why not out there where it's warm?"

"I feel calm in here," says Ty, earning a nod of understanding from Mike.

"All right," sighs Mike as he huddles close to my side, seeking warmth, to which we smile at one another in sympathy.

"The woman I told you about," Ty begins as he glances at all of us. He just talked to me about this woman he was very eager to move forward with, having only met her. "Helen."

"What about her?" I ask, wanting to speed things up before my teeth begin to sound like I am tapping my foot.

Ty sighs with this pure and absolute look of love in his eyes. "Things moved on."

I raise an eyebrow at this with a grin on my lips. "Really?"

"It was kind of porno," Ty says excitedly, to which Mike, Olaf and I look at him with this look of not having known he watched porn. I open my mouth to say something to my amusement. "Not that I watch porn, you understand," Ty says, cutting me off before I use his words against him.

"How porno?" asks Olaf.

"Very," Ty replies with too much enthusiasm. "Up to a point." He looks quite disappointed and I cannot help but grin in amusement, knowing where this was going. "We were walked in on before we got anywhere."

"And big ups to you," says Mike. "And we need to know this why?"

"Mike, I was on fire," says Ty, taking a step forward towards Mike, who I notice that is shifting from one foot to the other as he tries to keep himself warm.

"Yay, Ty!" I say, grinning.

"Thanks," Ty tells me with his own grin. "But what I mean is that I never feel like that. Not literally on fire, by the way, but inside." He glances at me. "Almost like when Linny uses her powers."

"Warmth," Olaf says, using the word that everyone associates my powers to.

"Like, in my veins," Ty says as he looks to Olaf. "Like nothing I've ever experienced."

"I'm happy for you, Ty," Mike says, desperate to leave the ice box. "And I'm also freezing my bollocks off. Couldn't you have talked this over with Lin before dragging us into Antarctica?"

"It really worries me, Mike," Ty argues with actual worry in his eyes that has me furrowing my brows in concern. "With all this Axl-slash-Odin weird shit going down…" he trails off in his desperation to convey his words and feelings about the whole thing. "Are they connected?"

"Olaf?" Mike asks and all of us turn our attention to Olaf.

Olaf nods, seeming to know what's going on, but I still find it hard that he actually has an accurate answer at the moment as he fails to meet our eyes. "There are forces at work."

"What forces?" Mike and I ask simultaneously.

"Opposing forces," Olaf answers, and I narrow my eyes at him, which Olaf notices. "Don't look at me like that, Linnea, I know what I'm talking about."

"Okay." I nod. "Opposing what?"

Olaf scrunches up his eyes closed, seeming to be looking for the answer in some deep vault that he cannot open from within his mind. We stay silent for seconds, waiting for him to open his eyes to answer my question that will give Ty some answers, but we are all met with silence. I sigh with a shake of my head, not surprised by this.

"You have no idea, do you?" Mike asks before I can.

"No," he says, shaking his head and eliciting a sigh from all of us after having held our breaths for him to answer Ty's questions. "But that doesn't make things any clearer."

"Really, you think?" Mike asks mockingly.

"I'm in love with Helen," Ty blurts out, catching me completely off guard but not that surprised, considering love comes quickly to him.

"What?" I ask with wide eyes, not believing he is truly in love with a girl he has only gone to second base with, no dates or anything like that at all.

"Okay, you do fall in love a lot," Mike says, nodding as he seems to be remembering the other times Ty has claimed to be in love with a girl.

Ty takes a moment, blinking once. "I know, but this is different."

"You've said that too," I quip.

"Every time," Mike adds.

"Yes, but _this is_ different," Ty says with more force in his tone of voice, and I can feel the temperature lowering.

"Lower the steam, Tiger," I say, and he catches on to what I mean.

"Okay, it is different," Mike says, using his hands to take his point across. "But if it's good, is it bad?"

"I don't know, that's what I'm trying to find out," Ty says, and he is oozing with frustration.

"Then until you find out otherwise, treat it as good, eh?" Mike suggests.

Ty looks to me, wanting for my opinion, so I nod. "I think Mike's right. You should take advantage of this."

"Good," Mike says before hurrying out of the room, probably going straight to his car to leave behind the cold.

"Apple martinis?" Olaf asks as he begins to bounce on his feet, his hands tucked under his armpits for warmth.

"The best," Ty answers, looking quite excited, but Olaf's face tells me that there is no reason to be excited about this.

Olaf nods before leaving without another word.

I raise an eyebrow at the still love-struck Ty as he continues to work, while I sacrifice my body to the cold to be the supportive friend, but I also require his support in the news I am about to tell him. "Apple martinis, huh?"

"I should take you to try one," he suggests, and I find no problem with that.

"Sounds like a plan, but after you guys have a first date," I say, but a wicked thought enters my mind, letting the Anders in me to surface at the moment. "I wouldn't want to be in love with her too and fall into bed with her."

Ty gives me an unamused look, to which I chuckle. "That's not funny."

"Oh, yes it is," I say as I continue to laugh.

* * *

**That is the end of this chapter, which I hope you guys enjoyed! I can't wait for me to post the next chapter, but I am going to give you guys a chance to tell me your thoughts on the chapter. We will soon embark on the topic of Anders' Bragi having his Iðunn, which will be a very dramatic plot soon enough, but I will leave that for you guys to find out. I will not spoil it for you guys!**

**Do not be afraid to share your thoughts, for they help me in my writing and such in future works, so review, Fave or Follow!**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter and will see you at the next chapter!**


	10. The Magic Words

**Here's the next chapter! Sorry for the delay, but work and studies have kept me very busy this month, but no worries. I am determined to see my stories through!**

**I hope you guys enjoy! Take notice that I own nothing of The Almighty Johnsons, except fort eh obvious.**

* * *

**The Magic Words**

* * *

"I'm so tired," I mumble into Anders' shoulder as we stand in one of Mike's construction sites in some neighborhood in the early hours of the morning, which is not the greatest time for me to be at my best. It doesn't help that I drank too much wine with Grams and I have to work at the office with Anders today, which means that it will be a long day. And I only want to curl up in my bed to drift away into a peaceful sleep. "Why are we here again?"

"Axl told us to meet up," Mike answers as he walks around the site, working on his latest project.

I watch him walk around, trying to picture myself doing such labor as work, but I come up with me dead on the floor at my first attempt to move anything. I admit that I am not built to do so much physical labor, and I opt for the delicate work that flowers require and the mental challenge that comes with working in public relations.

"Speak of the devil," Anders says as he looks towards the distance. Mike, Olaf and I follow his gaze to see Axl's car pulling up into the driveway of the house that is yet to be complete, or whatever it is that Mike is working on. "Still, why do we have to meet in fucking suburban wasteland?" Anders asks, clearly annoyed that we have to meet at Mike's place of work as he snakes an arm around my shoulders with me dozing off on his shoulder, ignoring the rumble of Axl's car as it approaches us. "Why can't we just meet in my office?"

"Because some of us have work to do, Anders," Mike counters as he manages a power tool, but I am too sleepy to even register what kind of tool it is. My mind is barely registering Anders' fingers stroking my shoulder as my eyelids grow heavier by the second.

"I work too," Anders says, sounding a tad offended as I hear hurried footsteps approaching us.

"He makes me his, Mike," I say, trying to get out of work for today to nurse my hangover at home. "Tell him to give me today off."

"I need you at the office today, so don't get any ideas," Anders says as he pushes me away from his shoulder, eliciting an annoyed whimper from me as he shakes me lightly to wake me up. "I need you at your best and at the ready for my very whim."

"Shut up," I say, trying to growl at him, but fail miserably as Axl approaches us with a look of elation on his face. I can't help but smile at his excitement, glad that he seems to be having a better morning than I am. "I'm not your slave."

"Might as well be," I hear him mumble, and I pull away to stare at him with narrowed eyes before slapping his shoulder.

A frown appears on Axl's face as his eyes scan over us, probably looking for his missing brother. "Where's Ty?"

"He's busy today," I say, knowing exactly where Ty as we all turn our attention to Axl.

"Too busy for this?" Axl asks.

"He's on a date," I explain further as I place my hands in the pockets of my coat.

"Who's the poor woman?" Anders asks with a smirk on his face, so I elbow his abdomen, scolding him in a playful manner.

"Someone who makes him feel warm," Olaf supplies, which is the truth, since Ty doesn't know how he really feels about the woman.

Axl sighs. "Doesn't he care that this could be the most important thing ever?"

"Hey!" I scold Axl, waking up a bit more at the jab against Ty as I point an accusing finger at the youngest Johnson. I force my face to look hard and unamused as I stare at him with nothing but seriousness, for I am not in the mood to have him be sassy or bratty. "He does care, Axl Johnson, so don't let me hear a single word of attitude from you."

Axl shuffles on the spot uncomfortably, avoiding my eyes, to which Anders snickers. "Sorry."

"Ty said he's happy to go along with whatever we decide about whatever it is that's so important," says Mike.

A grin erupts on Axl's face, making him look a tad weird at how happy he is at such an hour. "I think she's the one!"

"Who?" I ask, not understanding what he means.

"The librarian?" Anders asks, and it now clicks what Axl is talking about.

I hum. "You think she's the Frigg?"

"And how are we to be sure?" Mike asks.

"Was there a blinding flash of light?" asks Anders, quick on his unorthodox questions that normally leads to sexual questions or suggestions. "Were you consumed with desire for her?"

"She knows heaps about god stuff," Axl says, to which I stare at him with a look of confusion on my face, not understanding why it is relevant that the girl knows a lot about gods.

"Why does that matter?" I ask.

"Well, she knows way more than Olaf," says Axl, to which I chuckle as I turn to look at Olaf.

"He burned you there, Olaf," I say as Olaf rolls his eyes.

"But did the earth move for you?" Anders asks, and I understand where he is coming from.

With Axl being Odin, things will have to be big or epic when they happen to him, so meeting Frigg must be so epic that the earth either moves or stops for Axl when he meets her. The question still remains if she is the Frigg.

Axl frowns at Anders, looking quite confused. "Do you mean an actual earthquake?"

"No, no, in bed, numb nuts," Anders clarifies, to which I roll my eyes at knowingly, having seen that one coming.

"Every time," I say as I look at Anders, a bit annoyed that he can only think that sex is the only way to be sure about a girl being the Frigg.

"We haven't done that," Axl says, looking quite frustrated as he crosses his arms over his chest. "Look, I'm worried if you take what happened to netball girl and, like, multiply it because she's a goddess."

"What, you mean, like, she'll explode?" Anders asks.

I look to Olaf, curious about the answer as Mike clicks his tongue in annoyance. "Will she?"

"I don't think even Odin could make a woman explode with pleasure," Olaf explains, his answer making a bit of sense, but his mojo is still not quite back, so I am a bit doubtful.

"So what should I do?" Axl asks as he steps towards Olaf.

"Do what you feel is right," Olaf answers, and I sigh at the lack of clarity in his answer.

"Bur how will I know what is right?" Axl asks.

"You will know," says Olaf.

"How?" Axl asks.

Mike, Anders and I share a look between the three of us as we sigh, getting annoyed with this regular bickering that seems to be happening on a regular basis between Olaf and Axl, which is getting old and annoying.

"Only you know that," Olaf counters.

"No, I don't!" Axl exclaims, and it honestly looks like two children fighting over who is louder than the other.

"You will," Olaf says, continuing with this pointless bickering.

"When?" Axl asks.

"Oh, for fuck's sakes," I mumble under my breath, despising the fact that I am forced to swear like this. Anders places his arm around my waist, and we share a glance of annoyance as I burrow into his side with my head on his shoulder.

"When you realize," Olaf answers, his words empty of any answer as always.

I look to Mike, meeting his eyes and motion to Olaf and Axl. I mouth to him to do something; otherwise, we will find ourselves passing the whole day here until Olaf and Axl lose their voices.

"Realize what?" Axl asks, his height matching Olaf's.

"Okay," Mike says, interrupting the shouting match between grandfather and grandson with a tap on Olaf's shoulder, but his eyes on Axl. Axl and Olaf cease their bickering as they both turn their attention to Mike. "See her again," Mike tells Axl. "See what happens. Don't rush into anything." Mike's voice is grave and serious, which is the state of the situation, if the librarian truly is the Frigg. "Be sure, Axl."

"But don't feel pressured," I tell him, needing him to know that everything is all right and that a mistake can happen.

"Then tell us if she explodes," Anders just has to say.

"Seriously?" I say accusingly as I push away from him to give him a hard look, while Mike sighs in annoyance. Anders only imitates an explosion with his hands and mouth before grinning like a child at me with innocent eyes. "Time to go to work," I say as I hurriedly grab Anders' hand and drag him with me before he makes things worse with his witty comments that might earn him a punch to the face.

"Here I thought that you wanted the day off," he remarks as he loops his left arm with my right arm, leading us to his car, since he picked me up at my house this morning with no consideration for my neighbors as he honked away to his liking while stressing Cookie as she barked her heart out.

_Yes_, I think to myself, _he is quite frustrating._

* * *

"Yes, I understand that it was very unprofessional of him," I say into the phone to the representative of one of my and Anders' clients, listening to her furious rant about Anders having slept with some woman that invented a product for home cleaning, which I am not familiar with, since this is a client that Anders managed. I usually manage the charity organizations, organizing events and simply planning anything, which makes me the one who handles everything behind Anders, so he and Dawn are the faces of the company, not that they don't recognize me for my work. "I have already spoken to him."

"_I'm sorry, Miss Carlsen_," I hear the woman of mid-thirties say, to which I close my eyes at what she is about to say, "_but I cannot have such a man promoting us with such perverse attitude, and without the decency to even consider my clients' feelings in this. I don't know what he did, but we will not work with him in any future project._"

"Please, just give me a chance to remedy some of the damage," I implore her as I stand up from my chair, trying to sound as honest as I truly am, but people can be too stubborn when they're angry. I look over to Anders, who is sprawled out on the sofa in the office, sending him a glare as he grins sheepishly. I smack his leg that is propped on the coffee table, receiving a mock hurt look from him. "I know we can come to some form of agreement." I am fuming at Anders' audacity to have me handle this damn phone call and think of ways to get back at him. "I just need you to give us one more chance."

"_I say once more, I will not_," she grounds out, and I am actually getting quite annoyed with this woman's attitude. "_And I will not deal with women that are from his company._"

I scoff as I frown with a hand on my hip, the other keeping my phone to my air. "Excuse me?"

"_Well, I can only imagine how he keeps his employees working with him_," she huffs, and I am simply furious.

"I will have you know that this is not that kind of place, so you may very well go to hell," I say as I pace around the office, and I can feel Anders' and Dawn's eyes on me as I furiously try to glare at the woman's imaginary image right in front of me.

I hear her scoff on the other end of the line. "_Well, it is not I who needs your money._"

I laugh mockingly. "Well, maybe we don't need your money." I realize what I say, and I just want to slap myself for being a child. "Wait, I said maybe," I say too late as the line ends, leaving me to hear nothing, so I hang up.

I groan with my lips pressed tight against one another before looking over to Anders, who continues to eye me innocently. I feel my chest rise and fall in my frustration under my dark green, belted, buttoned-up shirt dress. The belt around my waist is thin and brown to match my heels.

"Called us a whorehouse, didn't they?" Anders asks me as I push back the loose waves of my brown hair that managed to escape my messy bun.

"Yep," I sigh as I walk over to him and flop down next to him, not wanting to handle anymore clients for a while. "Did you really have to sleep with her?" I ask, not even joking about this while keeping my voice low, so that Dawn doesn't hear from her office.

Anders sighs, and I turn my head to watch him staring at the ceiling with his hands joined on his chest. "No, but I needed an escape, you know." He turns his head to meet my eyes, his voice also low. I raise an eyebrow needing for him to elaborate, but I can understand a bit of what he was saying. "It's like being a drunk or an addict." He clears his throat before shifting his eyes to meet the ceiling once again. "I like the physical escape of sex, since you can't think of anything else but what your body wants, not that I have no control or am a sex addict."

"I can understand that," I say as I lean back on the sofa with him by my side. "But you can't live like that for the rest of your life."

"I know," he says, making me furrow my brows in confusion before looking to him, and I notice the faraway look in his eyes, which is quite worrisome.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

He suddenly blinks before turning his head to lock eyes with me. "Nothing," he says while shaking his head. "It's just me mumbling about nothing."

I hum, knowing exactly what he said and whatever meaning was behind the words. "Whatever you say, Anders."

I hear the phone of the office ring throughout the room and groan in annoyance, not wanting to deal with whoever else might have a problem with our performance or professionalism. The last thing I need on this day is having it turn from smoothly coasting to bad day; I am not up for in the least.

The ringing stops abruptly before few minutes pass and Dawn comes into the living room, her eyes shifting from me to Anders, probably wondering who will handle whatever situation is on the phone. "It's the dog food people."

"Again?" I ask, raising an eyebrow inquiringly. "We already did some work for them."

"Well, they're requesting another," says Dawn with her arms crossed over her chest, also looking quite annoyed by the dog food people, who always pester us to sponsor them.

"Tell them we're on lunch break," I say before leaning my head back against the couch, closing my eyes.

"At three in the afternoon?" she asks, not sounding condescending but actually looking for conformation.

"Yes," says Anders.

I hear Dawn walk back to her office and open my eyes, not in the best of moods to handle clients at the moment. I can't really wait for this day to be over with how slow it's going. There is also the downside of the low activity during the entirety of the day, which only bores me further.

"Want to have dinner tonight?" Anders asks me out of the blue, dragging me away from my thoughts, not that they were important.

I sigh as I quickly remember the last time I had dinner with him. "I don't think so," I say as I stand up and head over to my desk, feeling his questioning eyes on my back. "The last thing I need is you using our time together to score in a bathroom or closet, so that will be a no to dinner for some time."

"I thought you forgave me," he says as he walks over to me, while I take a seat on my chair to go through some paperwork before the end of work hours.

"I did," I clarify, keeping my eyes on the papers on the desk, knowing that he is standing opposite to me on the other side of the desk. "Still, it doesn't mean I forgot about it." I look up from the paperwork and smile at him sympathetically; really wanting to trust he won't do it again, but I need to be sure he won't before we ever go out again. "I don't want us to go out to spend time together with the damn thought of you having sex with some bimbo or slut when you leave my presence." His eyes look shameful and repentant, but I cannot just have him treat me like any other girl, even though I know he won't do it again. "I don't like that, Anders. I feel like I am just unimportant and someone you don't respect, which makes you look like your spitting on our friendship."

He crouches down and places his arms on the edge of the desk, his eyes meeting mine and holding me in place. "Give me tonight." I sigh, opening my mouth to protest. "Please, just give me tonight to prove to you that you can trust me to hang out. The last thing I want is to make you feel that way, especially when you're with me." I consider his words, a plan beginning to grow in my head to really get back at Anders, but I keep myself from letting a smile appear on my lips and keep myself in check. "I'll do anything."

_The magic words_, I think to myself as I grin internally.

"Anything?" I ask, appearing to not have a clue of what to ask of him.

He nods. "Anything and you can have the rest of the day off."

"Deal," I say, earning a wide smile from him as I stand up and begin to gather my things before approaching him. "Meet me tonight at that Italian restaurant that you know that I love at eight." He groans with a roll of his eyes, but I click my tongue teasingly. "You said anything."

"I am starting to regret my words," he grumbles with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his pants.

"Not yet," I say, to which he eyes me questioningly.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out tonight," I say, placing a kiss on his cheek before taking my leave. "By Dawn," I say to her on my way out of the office.

"Bye, love," she responds just as I close the door of the office behind me.

I take out my phone as I begin the trek home, wondering if I should take the bus as I dial a certain number that I have never found I needed to use, but things have changed recently, so I might as well not be too weirded out about it. I dial the number and place my phone to my ear, hearing it ring.

"_Hello,_" greets the masculine voice on the other end of the line by the third ring.

"Hey, I was wondering about your plans for tonight," I begin, grinning and probably looking like the Cheshire cat from wonderland.

* * *

"Hello, Anders," I greet the second oldest Johnson brother, grinning from ear to ear at how nervous he looks from his spot in front of the restaurant's entrance.

Anders is wearing his regular dark clothes. A pair of dress pants with dress shoes, a blue shirt and a dark jacket. Like always, his hair is tousled by his own hand to appear styled, but I doubt he did much. I, on the other hand, am wearing a black midi dress. The dress has a deep V-neckline and a Y-cut back, which is paneled with cutout floral eyelash lace and I have black heels to match the outfit. I have my long, wavy, brown hair pinned to cascade down the front of my left shoulder. I have a dark coat on with a small shoulder bag dangling from my right shoulder with my belongings in it.

"Wow," he says the second his eyes land on my figure, widening in awe as he stares at me, which causes my cheeks to burn under his gaze. It doesn't help that his mouth is still agape as he continues to stare at me. "You look stunning."

I chuckle nervously as I tuck a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. "Thanks."

"I'm serious," he says as he extends a hand towards me, as if signaling to all of my form. "You look hot."

"All righty," I say nervously. "We should get inside."

"I am still waiting for that other shoe to drop," he says as he eyes me carefully, probably waiting for whatever it is that I have planned for him tonight. He opens the door to the restaurant for me and I enter with him following behind me. "I'll take it, you know, because I deserve it, but I kind of need some sort of hint as to what it is."

I shake my head at him as we approach the front desk of the restaurant, where a waiter dressed in a dark uniform greets us with a smile. "Good evening, how many of your party will we be entertaining tonight?"

"Three," I answer, and I catch Anders' confused gaze on me, but I ignore him as I smile at the waiter, who is gathering three menus before motioning us to follow him.

"Follow me this way, please," says the waiter, whose name I did not catch on his name tag. He leads us to a cozy booth with the window next to us and lights dimmed a bit. Anders and I take our seats opposite to one another as the waiter places a menu on the table in front of us, the third placed on the corner of the table for when our other companion of the night arrives. "Someone will be with you shortly to take care of you for the night, have a pleasant evening."

"Thank you," I tell him as I take my coat off, watching the young waiter retreat and leave our presence. I notice Anders also taking his coat off and placing it next to him before his eyes land on me, narrowing them. "What?" I ask, pretending to not know what is up with him as I give the menu my full attention.

"What are you up to?" he asks as he folds his arms on the table. I shrug innocently before my vibrating phone startles me. "Come on, Linny," Anders begs as I take my phone out of my bag before finding I have a message and give my location to the person. "I can't take the suspense."

"He's here," I say, looking up at him with a smile after putting away my phone.

Anders raises an eyebrow. "Who's here?"

I turn to look to the side and smile wide before waving a hand for the person that was looking over the crowd of people of the paced restaurant. "Dad!" I call, catching my father's attention and causing Anders to look to where I was looking at my father, who notices us and makes his way over to us.

"You did not," Anders groans, and I know he may dislike my father for abandoning me, but he also dislikes my father for how noble he says that my father and believes himself to be my father's victim.

"Oh, I did," I say challengingly before standing up to greet my father with a kiss on his cheek. "Hey, Dad."

"I am pleasantly surprised by the invite," my father says as he chuckles before his eyes fall on Anders, to which he tenses and nods at the Johnson brother stiffly. "Anders Johnson."

"Ewald Carlsen," Anders greets in return with a forced smile on his lips. "I never expected you to come into town ever again."

"I have my reasons to be in town, considering the remainder of my family lives here," my father responds as he takes a seat where I had been sitting, facing Anders from the other side of the table, while I take a seat next to Anders to be ready to diffuse any tension. "Besides, I can't leave my daughter in the care of your family for long."

"Yeah, like abandonment is the best way to care for your child," Anders shoots in return as both males glare at one another.

"Well, Anders," I pipe in, interrupting their little grudge match before it escalates. "I remember you telling me that you wanted to know what had my thoughts troubled, so I thought why not show you."

"A text message would have sufficed," says Anders as his eyes remain locked on my father's, who hasn't shifted in the least.

"It doesn't matter," I say as I place a hand on Anders' stiff shoulder with a small smile on my lips, trying to calm him down before he begins to continue to be his honest self too early at dinner. "We're here to have a good time before my father leaves town in a few weeks."

"Yes, I meant to talk to you about that, Linnea," my Dad begins.

I frown in confusion at his eyes avoid meeting mine. "What is it?"

"Good evening, I hope you're having a pleasant evening," A perky waitress says a tad too happily for my taste as her eyes roam over the three of us, but her eyes lingered more on my father and Anders with Anders being closer to her age, even though she looks a bit too young for my liking to be surveying the both of them as pieces of meat. "Can I interest you in drinks or any appetizers?"

Neither Anders nor my father made a move to break eye contact, seeming to be having some sort of masculine battle that they have to prove to one another, which I cannot understand, so that leaves me to be the one to make the decisions for us.

"Yes, I'll have a strawberry frappe," I begin, glancing at the two men at my table, their unmoving postures causing me to roll my eyes in annoyance. "He"—I point to my father—"will have your best brandy." I then point at Anders. "He will have whiskey, and you can bring some barbecue wings for the table."

"All right," she says with a nod of her head. "I'll be right back," she says as she eyes my father and Anders strangely before hurrying off to bring our orders, not giving me time to thank her.

I turn to the boys at my table. "Enough," I hiss at them, growing annoyed and angry at their behavior towards one another. "You're both grown men, so use calm words and avoid pouting like twelve-year-olds."

"Fine," Anders says as he leans back against the cushions of our seat, his eyes serious but his lips smirking. "How have your years of luxury been, Ewald?" I roll my eyes at his question. "I suppose the removal of the responsibility of being a father did wonders for you and your career."

My father sucks in a sharp breath before releasing it through his nose, his eyes shooting daggers at Anders and probably wishing them to be real. "Not a day goes by that I regret my decisions." His eyes then turn to meet mine. "I spent years and still do with a hole in my chest after my wife's death, and I knew I was no good for Linnea, so I took the choice of leaving her in capable hands, so as to not ruin her future."

A heavy silence then falls on the table. While Anders clears his throat in his unease, I feel a heaviness settle in my chest after hearing what my father just said and I hate how I betray myself to feel empathetic towards him. Yes, I can understand why he left, but I cannot help but simply _hate_ how he just abandoned me after my mother's death and refused to raise me and help me through the challenges that life threw me as I grew up.

All of these thoughts bring forth emotions that cause my eyes to sting and my throat to swell, so I clear my throat and force a smile on my lips. "I need to go to the bathroom," I say while keeping my voice from cracking as I smile at my father and Anders. "I'll be right back." I begin to stand from my seat as both my father and Anders wear concerned looks on their faces. "If the waitress comes back, I'll just have the steak with baked potatoes."

I leave the table before giving my father and Anders the chance to ask me anything, probably if I was all right. And I find myself hurrying towards the women's bathroom, and I am glad to find it empty and silent as I place my hands on my hips while staring at the mirror. I release a heavy sigh as I approach the sink and open the faucet to let cool water splash on my hands before tracing them over my neck to calm my nerves. I look at myself in the mirror with my hands on my neck, deciding to just go through the night and have a nice time with my father and Anders.

I hear a knock on the door before it's opened to reveal Anders coming into the bathroom as I stutter, surprised to find him entering the women's bathroom without a care in the world. _This is the women's bathroom, right?_ I ask myself, unsure if I am in the correct bathroom.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him as he locks the door behind him.

He only smiles at me as he goes to wash his hands. "Making sure you're okay." He glances at me as he dries his hands. "Are you?"

I nod, touched that he was worried about me and came to make sure I was all right. "I am."

"Well, the night is still young and your father's waiting for us," he says as he stands right in front of me. "I think we can get him to pay the bill."

"If I ask him, you mean," I say with narrowed eyes, knowing exactly that he meant for me to ask my father to pay for the bill tonight, but part of Anders' punishment consists of him paying his own. "We'll see." And with that, I leave the bathroom to return to the table where my father waited patiently.

_Well, the worst of the night has passed,_ I think to myself as I join my father with a smile on my face that he returns as Anders also returns to the table. _And I can only hope for a better relationship with my father._

* * *

**End of the chapter! I can't wait for the next one, and I apologize for taking so long, but I hope I haven't lost your support guys; it's the only thing keeping me going and I greatly appreciate and love it!**

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